Comments:PSC 3330 - Dr. Nichols is a great guy and a good professor. If you want an easy class, take him. There's barely any work (except for semi-weekly outlines) which are easy to get done the night before. I took American Presidency and loved it — he is one of the few people in the world that's an expert. I liked hearing him dialogue with our readings and present semi-unbiased information about each president. He's a jokester but doesn't care to take his bias out of his teaching.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1387 - One of the best prof you can have, his classes are fun and captivating. His tests are all open notes on canvas so theres no reason to do bad. Will mention West Point at least once per class  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:PSC 1387 - He is such a fun teacher!!! I always enjoyed going to his class and he keeps things interesting. I learned a lot and the quizzes/assignments are not hard at all. If you just pay attention, you will do well (which is very easy because he is very entertaining). Take him!!!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1387 - One of my favorite professors. Super manageable workload. All quizzes and tests are open note. Quizzes are also taken at home without monitor! Gives bonus for dressing in Hawaiian clothes on one day. Definitely the best choice for a professor for this notorious class at Baylor   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1387 - LITERALLY SUCH A FUN GUY. I don't know why people gave him these bad reviews!! He did his best to make class entertaining while also teaching in such a cool and understandable format. We had hardly any quizzes and an occasional take home essay question, but nothing challenging. Not to mention the quizzes were open book and open note and could be taken on our own time.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3330 - Dr. Nichols American Presidency class was pretty easy. It consists of weekly outlines, two tests, and a research paper. The group outlines were kind of a waste of time but an easy grade. I literally put in minimal work and got an A in this class. He also gives extra credit which helps a lot.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:PSC 4V94 - Oh, what to say about Dr. Nichols? Look, I learned a lot from this class and Dr. Nichols does care about his students, but he is just plain weird. I don't mean that disrespectfully as I think he would self-identify this way. My biggest complaint is that the expectations in this class were always a moving target. The syllabus was incomplete at the start of the semester and he continued to add assignments on as we went along. He's also highly intelligent, but sometimes that comes at the cost of not answering a simple question. You'll ask him something, and then before you know it, he's given you a 10-minute answer that may or may not have answered your question.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3330 - I want to combat much of what I am seeing within these reveiws. Dr. Nichols constantly shows that he wants what is best for his students, yes Nichols has an uncanny sense of humor, but this humor brings a calming factor to the class. He treats you with respect and encourages you to joke with him. I have learned that grades are very much earned in Nichol's classes. He wants you to know the material and gives you copious time to learn material. I am impressed by his eagerness to engage and help students. This is one of the only professors who have worked around my work schedule and my mental health issues. He comes off as quirky, do not be fooled, this professor is very insightful and intelligent. Do take Nichols if you would like to learn, otherwise go and find an easy A  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:PSC 2302 - (COVID19 semester) Dr.Nichols is really interested in the subject material and wants his students to learn it. His exams are fair and you will know what to expect from the quizzes. His lectures are a bit boring and he goes pretty slow. We got behind in class several times and he would just cut material. He is not the best at communication or replying to emails. However, he will help you out if you need to move a test or quiz. When we switched to online due to the pandemic, he gave up and made everything open-note.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2366 - He absolutely sucked! He put down Baylor students and told one of the football guys in our class “so are we even gonna win a game this year” and then chuckled under his breathe as if that was funny. He was insulting, creepy, weird, and will yell at you if he see’s your phone out and will assume you are cheating. NEVER BE LATE AND NEVER MISS CLASS OR HE WILL DROP YOUR GRADE! He made us very uncomfortable and feel awkward. It was toxic setting. Never take him!  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:2302 - The worst professor I have ever had! There are 3 or 4 tests, (both take home and in class), quizzes every other day, and TONS of busy work. He chooses favorites in his class, so be on his good side if that’s possible! Tests are multiple choice, true/false, short answer and essay questions... so they are basically never ending! I went to office hours, meetings with him to try and improve my grade, and he did not help whatsoever. Had high A’s in all my classes besides his, and he was the one that dropped my GPA! NEVER miss a class or he will accuse you of cheating, “faking” that you were sick, or just not caring about your grade! I think I missed maybe two classes and that’s what his explanation was as to why I had a B in his class. Not helpful at all and oddly weird and too sarcastic to students that it comes off rude and insulting.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:3330 - If you are looking for an easy upper level PSC class this IS NOT IT. This class should have been fun but it wasn't and I hated every minute of it. I feel like Dr. Nichols is probably a great guy but he is sucky professor. His tests were so freakin hard and on the 2nd day of class your were required to know all the presidents in order, the years in office, and political party, That quiz is all or nothing ig you miss one thing you get a 0 and we didn't have another grade for 2 months. He has the craziest stories about being at West Point truly an eccentric guy.  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:Psc 4V94 - I see why many people would assume that taking a political parties class with a very well rated professor would be valuable and great. Professor Nichols decided to do the exact opposite. In this once every three-year class, we were expected to not only read and outline multiple paged material everyday with not receiving a true grade but also we all to had decipher unclear instructions and LESSONS that were not truly defined. In this way, most students in the class felt very left out and misunderstood of important information that was expected of you in class. For example, more than half the syllabus was not filled out with clear cut readings or instructions. The group papers and projects, would go into a mysterious participation grade that was so undefined it felt like it didnt exist. He does not really grade papers, he ballparks it, giving you a range in which the paper could fall into. Even when the entire class had no clue what they were doing, he continued to push on. Only reveiwing or catching people up at the last moment. No rubrics, no directions, and many expectations have led this class into the gutter. While I respect and like Dr. Nichols, I do not apreciate the utter unorganization and lack of awareness he has within class. I hope his other classes are better, this is and was a train wreck.  - Grade In Class:DROP

Comments:2302 - I had Dr. Nichols for May minimester. He's an awesome and cool professor, and is very passionate about what he teaches. He is really charismatic and fun, making class super enjoyable. His big quizzes are super easy, the tests have a few tricky questions, but just re-read them a couple times. It might be a completely different structure than his normal semester's class, but I recommend him anyway if you want a cool teacher!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2302 - Dr. Nichols is honestly the nicest guy in the poly sci department. I heard that he won't be teaching 2302 again for a while, but I thought id just throw a review up anyway. He is very animated, and reminded everybody of Michael Scott from the office. He made the class very entertaining and kept everybody engaged in what he was saying. He gave tons and tons of extra credit and his exams are not terrible at all. There was never any homework but a few quizzes throughout the semester that were not terrible. I just read my notes through 3x before each quiz / test and I was fine! I highly recommend taking him if you can still !  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3330 - Dr. Nichols is just wonderful. He seems to love teaching this class and will give all his lectures like one big wild story. It was a bit of a slow start, but stick with him. The information is so useful and you come out with so much knowledge. I've had some of the best conversations about politics because of material I learned from this course. The tests are more than fair (not your typical know-every-little-detail history exams) and the two big quizzes are super easy if you just do the work (memorization, you're literally handed what you'll be expected to regurgitate). He sprinkles pop quizzes over the readings throughout, so do the readings, but it's not unmanageable. If you bomb one or two you'll still be alright. He's definitely the most generous prof I've ever had, always doing whatever he can to help us out (extra credit, extending deadlines, offering help). He just wants you to do well and actually absorb the info. Couldn’t recommend more. Go all out for Hawaiian Shirt Day, folks!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3330 - I don’t know how these reviews are so high, maybe he’s a completely different prof in 2302 but I’ve had him twice and both times I’ve told myself “never again”. There’s two “big” quizzes which are honestly easier than the small pop quizzes. The tests are pretty detailed too. Then a 10 page paper to top it all off. Good luck keeping up with the notes. I also wouldn’t take this class if you have another class immediately after that’s not in the same building because we went over time prob 98% of the time. PSC majors looking for an easier upper level, avoid this class. It’s unnecessarily hard.  - Grade In Class:C

Comments:2302 - Professor Nichols is awesome! He is literally the most passionate professor I think I have ever had. He is genuinely excited about teaching the material he covers in class. Your hand will ache by the end of class from writing notes, but the class is so straightforward and everything on the test comes directly from the notes. I learned SO much in this class and I really enjoyed it.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:PSC 2302 - Dr. Nichols is the most straight forward professor I've had at Baylor. The course is designed for you to pass it and the workload is very manageable. Most of the time you can get away with studying the day before and still get an A on a quiz. The only parts of this course that require more studying are the midterm and the final. However, you can use a "cheat sheet" on the final so it not as bad even though it is cumulative. Dr. Nichols tries to make the course exciting as he knows most people are they just because its required. He also shortens the material you need to know. No need to worry about the insane amount of court cases that other professors require, Dr. Nichols only covers about 30 of the most important ones. He even uses a chart for them which can save you when you forget their names. I'd recommend Dr. Nichols to anyone that wants to get an A.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2302 - Always left his class knowing something new. He's a very good professor, my favorite Poli Sci prof by far! He is department head and wrote the textbook (which might make him sound boring but on the contrary he is very lively in class and keeps you interested throughout). Highly recommend his class! The study guides he hands out contain everything you need to know for the tests.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3330 - Maybe I missed the memo, but Nichols was not that great of the professor. I think his teaching ability varies each semester. He tries to stuff way too much information into the semester. The course should really be divided into two presidential sections to fully cover everything from Washington to Obama.. He has three tests throughout the class (two midterms and a final) and two paper assignments, as well as random pop quizzes. I aced the papers and did pretty well on the last two tests, but the first midterm had already sunk my grade. He has a bone to pick with Baylor, hates Sing, student involvement, etc, so if lectures about that annoys you, don't take him. Also, this is the only class that I had trouble staying awake in, and I'm a political science major.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:Psc 3330 - Nichols is kind of the man. Extremely engaging with the class and brilliant about the importance of the presidency outside of just knowing the history behind each president. Only a few tests and two papers, all of which are completely fair. Take him for any course that he does and you'll enjoy it.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2302 - Political Science is a required course here at Baylor. Looking for a interesting teacher that might make a required class fun? Look no more, this guy is the best. The class is extremely easy to follow becasue he lays everything out for you. First part of the course is easy, second part is court cases, and third part is more court cases. There are 3 tests that are pretty easy, but sometimes the multiple choice can trick people. Read every question. Make sure you study your notes from the previous class because some quizzes are unannouced. My advice is don't buy the book and write really good notes from lecture. I didn't even need the book once. Do buy the pocket constitution!!!! You will see why! Overall the class was great, the court cases may run together but you will get the hang of it, and Nichols is great! He is always wanting his students to learn. If you don't understand something he will explain it another way. Highly recommended!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2302 - Prof Nichols is hilarious, it makes class go by pretty quickly. Minimal studying before quizzes, only a little more needed for tests (charts and tables for short answer). Really laid back, he can go too quickly through the notes sometimes but good about going back if asked. Willing to answer questions about anything. Sometimes during quizzes he'll go through questions and tell you which answer its not. Definitely recommend. Couldve had an A but didnt prepare well enough for the midterm.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:PSC 3330, PSC 4350 - I've taken Dr. Nichols twice and I've loved both of his classes- he's an entertainer. The American Presidency is a really interesting, fairly basic class if you need an upper level credit. Get ready for some memorizatoin though. Political Parties is not an easy class. He expects you to come to class preprared for discussion. There are three papers and a couple group presentations over the reading. He is very willing to help out on the papers though, and if you don't slack off you can do well. No tests!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3330 - Dr. Nichols is engaging, funny, and knowledgeable. As a political science major, I am actually interested in the presidency, but I think that his enthusiasm would gen-ed polisci enjoyable or at least bearable for non-majors. His workload was very manageable--I worked hard and nearly aced the course, but I know of other people who worked considerably less and still got A's. Probably my favorite teacher at Baylor thus far.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:PSC 2302 - Prof. Nichols is a GREAT professor. My class had over one hundred people in it but he always had everyone's focus. He keeps you very interested in the material and I walked away from the class knowing things I know I won't forget. I took his class as a freshman so maybe the workload isn't as bad as I thought it was, but I had to study a lot for his class. Most of the homework wasn't turned in as it was just reading over the Constitution, court cases, etc. But his tests/quizzes are very specific so if you don't do the homework and study alot they may be difficult. Overall I really enjoyed his class.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:2302 - American Constitutional Development--Dr. Nichols is an incredible teacher!! He is super entertaining and enthusiastic and makes learning about the Constitution interesting. The first part of his class is pretty easy and you can use your Constitution on all quizzes and tests. The second part of the class is a little bit harder once you start studying cases, but if you study like he suggests, you will do fine. There are quizzes basically once a week, and they aren't hard to ace if you just look over the information. There's hardly any extra credit, but if you do the work, you shouldn't need it! A really great teacher, definitely recommended.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:PSC 2302 - Dr. Nichols is pretty great. He keeps me awake in his class by his enthusiasm alone. As long as you do the reading assignments, study for tests and quizzes, and show up to class, his class is relatively easy. He gives many quizzes to ensure you are staying up with your readings, but most of his test-questions come from his lecture notes. You can use your pocket constitution on quizzes and tests, so that helps a lot, especially during the first half of the semester, which is basically on the declaration of independence and the constitution. Take him if you get a chance.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2302 - Dr. Nichols is great professor! He makes political science interesting for me. There are no readings and I would recommend not buying the required textbooks because I never had to use it. There are random small quizzes which are 3 questions and he drops only one. There are 6 BIG quizzes which have about 10 questions and sometimes a writing portion, so remember any tables and graphs he shows! There are 2 midterm test and a final.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2302, 3330 - I LOVE this guy!! He makes learning about political science fun. He doesnt give too much of a work load but he does expect alot out of his students so know your stuff!! I had him in 2302 and 3330. In 2302 all you have to do is pay attention in class and write down everything that he writes down. In 3330 it is the same however you do have to do short biographies of two presidents that you are assigned (2 pages max). His test are half multiple choice and half short answer. Some of the questioned are tricky so make sure you read the questions well. He gives comprehensive finals however in each class that I had him in he schedule a review session before the final. I will be honest in each of these classes I did not even open my book thus the B. As long as you pay attention in class and do the readings his classes are an easy A.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:2302, 4350 - LOVE this man! Had him for constitutional development and political parties. He is very organized which made learning the cases for 2302 very logical. He expects a lot of you in 4350 (4 short papers from readings + 12-15 page research paper) but is very willing to help you. Favorite poli sci prof--will definitely take him again!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1350, Political Parties - Dr. Nichols is my favorite professor in the poly sci department. His classes are fun if you participate and show up everyday. He will go out of his way to help you if you make an effort to work with him. His jokes are not always that great, but he realizes this and can laugh at himself. Great teacher who really knows the material he teaches. Great guy too.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2302 - He is a lovable guy. He makes every class interesting and relates whatever we are talking about to current events. He assigns a lot of reading. His tests were part multiple choice and part short answer/essay. They were rather easy if you studied your class notes. Everything on the test was mentioned in his lectures. He is very helpful and will take time explaining things to you after class. I recommend him for anyone who like poli sci or wants to get a decent grade in a required class.  - Grade In Class:B+