Writing this years later but I remember really enjoying this class and that it genuinely changed my thinking. Would recommend!

I had Professor Potts and TA Andrew this past fall quarter (online). She is very clear, composed, and compassionate, as well as extremely knowledgeable in geography and global studies. I found her class very thought-provoking and interesting, and I would definitely recommend this class to determine if you want global studies as your major/minor or as a GE. Lectures frequently let out early, but were definitely long. I usually took 6 pages of notes in about an hour, although I knew people who didn't take notes at all and still did fine. Notes will only work in your favor on quizzes/essays/exams though, and my notes were really useful later on in the course, so I would personally recommend taking notes. There are weekly readings (~60 pages) that usually took me 3-4 hours to get through. I would recommend doing the readings before the week's lectures and discussions. Don't do them too far in advance, though, because depending on current events or class pace, some may be removed or altered. The weekly quizzes are easy, the midterm was straight off the study guide, and the group project final was definitely doable (while a bit tricky depending on your group, but that's expected lol). The class also includes two papers, one based on the international institute's lectures (this quarter they were on Black Lives Matter) and one based on a documentary/movie out of an assigned list of 3-4. I found the prompts very interesting, and doing well on these essays will be a huge leg up in the class and make you much more relaxed and confident (put some time in). The discussion is also graded on participation, but that's easy points. If you have an insightful and helpful TA like I did, it will be a breeze. Other points: go to discussion, go to office hours or stay after lecture if you have questions, pay attention to the author's perspective in assigned readings/podcasts, and be sure you clearly know the difference between similar concepts. Have fun, and good luck!

I found this class extremely easy. Professor Potts is very clear in her lectures. You can get away with just solely watching the lecture rather than doing the readings since she goes over the most important ones. I'm not going to lie, some of the lectures were very boring while others were very interesting. The class grade itself consisted of weekly reading quizzes, a midterm (mix of MC questions and short answer, a paper, and a group podcast project. The podcast was a pain in the ass. I much would've preferred a final exam since Professor Potts doesn't ask questions about the little details, but rather the overarching themes. I would retake this class again. I had John as a TA and he was extremely helpful in clarifying any readings/concepts that were confusing!

Lectures neither super interesting nor super boring. Huge class full of sophomores and freshmen; cross your fingers you get a good TA.

This is definitely a great class to learn more about globalization. It teaches you to look at globalization critically. If you are thinking about minoring in global studies, this is a good class to start. Plus, it counts as a GE too. The workload is not too heavy. There are weekly readings, but the professor does a really good job summarizing those readings. Participation in discussions is required. Overall, I had a good experience taking this class with Professor Potts. I would recommend taking this class with her if you want to learn more about globalization in general.