This class was very good as far as GEs go. Professor Gelvin is really knowledgeable and delivers the lectures in a very straightforward manner that I liked. He doesn't use slides so that might be difficult for people who are more visual learners (but he writes uncommon words on the board as he uses them). To succeed in this class, make sure to take very good notes, especially when he starts rattling off lists because it will be really helpful for the final. There a readings for each week, but they pretty much cover the same stuff as the lectures so I would say to do one or the other (I didn't do the readings but I went to almost every lecture and I was fine). But, attendance isn't mandatory so you can get by on not going and just doing the readings. The only assignments in the class are one-page (double spaced) critiques about a reading each week. You then talk about the readings in your discussion. You also have two papers due during each midterm session about a book. As long as you read the book in a timely manner, they aren't too bad. Lastly, the final is a hand-written, in-class essay, but you are given the prompts beforehand. Overall, I would definitely recommend this class as a GE because it isn't took bad, but be warned that it isn't super easy either. You still need to pay attention in class and do well on the papers and exam to get an A.

Professor Gelvin is the best professor I have ever had. He is knowledgeable and interested in the material, extremely helpful during office hours, a great lecturer and writer, and lots of fun. He is very biased, but he makes that known beforehand and does not care about what your politics are, only your argument skills. If you have any interest in history, take this class immediately!

Pretty straightforward class. I took the course during Fall 2020 while everything was online and I still feel that I gained a good amount of knowledge from the class. The course consisted of two papers (~1200 words) and a "take-home" final exam that was structured like an Op-Ed article. No tests or quizzes but I enjoyed the papers. Sections were also incredibly helpful, and I recommend you to attend if you want to learn.

If you need an interesting History GE, this is the one. I went in expecting this course to be another memorization-based history class and boy, was I wrong. Professor Gelvin structures the course so that you're forced to think critically about different modern topics. I didn't know much about Middle Eastern history other than the small tidbits we learned in middle school and this course truly opened my eyes to how much more there is to know. Not only do Professor Gelvin's lectures touch on the basics of how the Modern Middle East came to be, but he invites us to consider flaws in the Western perception of the Middle East. I also like how we're not expected to remember everything mentioned in lectures, and that most of the analysis we're asked to do is based on a "bigger picture" mindset.
I'm a freshman and this was my first experience taking a GE, so I don't really have anything to compare the difficulty to, but I'd say this course is very manageable in terms of workload. Honestly, I had a hard time keeping up with all the asynchronous lectures and missed a couple here and there. What helped, though, was keeping up with all the reading. Since Professor Gelvin wrote the book, there's a lot of parallel between what is mentioned in lectures and what is written in the textbook, so I never felt lost or behind in discussion. In fact, I have a better time paying attention to the textbook than sitting through the lectures.
Like others have written, we are expected to submit a one-page analysis weekly and two separate 5-page papers on top of an Op-Ed Final (at least in this quarter). For the one-page papers, we're given a list of articles/podcasts to listen to and then expected to write a critique on them . These become pretty second-nature the more we write them. Professor Gelvin has amazing article choices and I always learned something new writing these critiques.
The 5-page papers aren't too bad. The first is a little difficult to construct, maybe because it was the very first paper I ever wrote as a college student. For the second paper, we're required to read a novel; I'm not really a reader but the book we had to read was so interesting, I couldn't put it down!
Papers are graded on the easier-side in my opinion.
Regardless of whether or not you're a history fanatic (I'm certainly not), I encourage you to take this course!

This class is mainly about the Modern Middle East (1700-present), if your interest lies in the Ottoman or Islamic Empire, Hist 105A or 105B may be more up your ally.
Prof Gelvin's lectures are very good but the class is quite a lot of work. You are expected to read 10-50 pages a week, turn in weekly writing assignments based on the readings; read a 400 page novel and complete 3 big papers (5 pages max). When I took the class, 2 of the 3 papers were due week 10 and 11 with relatively short notices. It doesn't sound so bad now, but if you're a slow writer, it can get very overwhelming.

Gelvin's lectures are definitely interesting, although I found myself not retaining a lot of the information because the lectures were kind of all over the place. Really nice guy and helpful during office hours. One of the only classes I've taken where the discussion sections have seemed really helpful/engaging. TA Lily Hindy was great and I still keep in contact with her. Grade is made up of 10 weekly reflection papers on the readings, 2 papers, and a final (either take home or in class based on a vote). We voted to have it be take home, and the assignment was two 5-6 page papers. Class is very writing intensive, but I definitely felt myself getting better at the assignments at the end of the quarter. This class was definitely interesting and I walked away a better writer and with knowledge of the middle east, but I would avoid if you are looking for an easy GE. Take it if you are interested in the topic and willing to put in the work.

Professor Gelvin is clearly knowledgeable about his topic, he told me during office hours that he's taught the class for almost thirty years. Despite this, you can also tell that he is getting older and having trouble to have the same energy and enthusiasm about the topic that Im sure he once had. In most lectures now he gives off strong grandpa vibes talking about how tired he is and complaining about ex wives. Outside of this, Gelvin definitely has some biases that he is not afraid to voice. Prepare to have Trump brought up at least once every other lecture in random anecdotes that are very marginally related to the course. Gelvin also has a pretty noticeable bias on the Israel/Palestine conflict... but ill let yall figure that out on your own if you sign up for the class. Overall a fine class that's not bad for a GE and is a relatively easy A. As long as you are okay taking a course with grandpa vibes and dealing with some biases when having information presented to you, you'll be totally fine!

Professor Gelvin is very knowledgeable on course materials and that is reflected in how he teaches. Critiques are due for participation grades based on weekly readings, they are one-page long and double-spaced so not too bad. Two papers are to be submitted over the course of the quarter. Final paper questions are given beforehand and cover topics that the Professor will go over multiple times in class. Overall, enjoyable and I genuinely felt like I learned something!

Gelvin is a super interesting prof, but I wouldn't take this class if you aren't genuinely interested in Middle Eastern history or history at all. His lectures are very engaging, but he does not use slides, and his lectures are not recorded, making it difficult to catch up if you miss a class. It's not an easy A class, but a very enriching, relevant, and interesting one. You do have to buy two of Gelvin's books, and there are two essays and an in-person final exam which is made up of two handwritten essays. Although it's not a particularly easy class, I recommend, as it outlines the context and framework for so much that is happening in the Middle East in the present day.

Gelvin is nice, funny and super smart. This class is definitely different than your average history class, since there more critical thinking than memory. I took this as a GE and definitely didn’t put in as much work as I should have. I’m not super motivated in history classes but I found this material very interesting. I knew nothing about Middle Eastern history before this class and I’m definitely glad I took it. Would recommend. Having some understanding of Middle eastern history is also very much important especially in light of current events.