Columbia College Core · Columbia University
Light, one 15 page paper the entire semester
Weekly reading can be pretty heavy but it's not necessary to do the all reading on time, just make sure you look everything over before the exams. One 5-7 page paper on the scholarly debate of a subject of Rome. TA's grade everything and he makes it pretty clear that if you have a problem with a grade a TA gave you, he will probably be harsher when he has to grade it.
Required reading, three papers, midterm, final, two-three quizzes at the end of the semester.
Take it take it take it. World class lecturer, doesn't even matter if you know anything about Ancient history. Top 3 professors I've had at Columbia, the man is a genius.
This was Professor Pilkington's first time teaching this course, I believe Professor Harris has always taught it in the past, and I was presently surprised. I took this course to fulfill a survey course credit for my Barnard History major. I had never taken an ancient history class before and I'm glad I took this one. Professor Pilkington is incredibly knowledgable, funny, and overall a great professor. He is trained in archeology, so he kept it interesting by not following the typical historian view, as I understand Professor Harris used to teach. His exams are fair and there is one paper assignment that's fairly doable. He doesn't grade anything, however, so it entirely depends on your TA. I had a tough TA and will probably receive a B+ in the course but if you attend every single lecture and do the reading on time, it might be relatively easy to get an A in the course. He posts the notes online in PowerPoint, so it's really not necessary to attend every lecture, just the important ones. Pilkington is entertaining enough that you might actually want to attend every class, though.
By far the best professor that I've had or heard of in all of my schooling. Bold, potty-mouthed, outgoing and brilliant, Nathan taught Lit Hum his own way--criticizing inconsistencies and revering great passages with equal amounts of enthusiasm. He ensured that class was nothing less than a seminar, forcing each student to speak not by calling on them, but by making each conversation irresistible. Paper topics were never easy, but were far from impossible as Nathan makes himself highly available in and after class, answers emails usually within a few hours, and is extremely flexible when it comes to meeting after class. Athletes and working students also need have no fear--Nathan is one of the most understanding and accommodating teachers that you'll ever have. Whether you need to have a deadline extended, want to talk about how much you love or hate the Symposium, or just don't understand how this whole college thing works, this professor is the man to see. A true southern boy, complete with accent and salmon-colored pants, Nathan made it a point to get down to the true, real-life, how-this-relates-to-you point of each work, and I couldn't have asked for anyone better.
Three papers (10% each), midterm (20%), final (30%), participation (10%), 2 or 3 quizzes (10%). Nice and spread out, so one bad grade won't kill you.
I honestly couldn't have asked for a better Lit Hum professor. Nathan is a loud, foulmouthed, and astoundingly intelligent classicist from North Carolina who will take you through the syllabus as only someone who has read every (yes, EVERY) work in its original language can. He has high standards for in-class discussion and papers, yet didn't seem to be a particularly harsh grader--which, in my book, is exactly what you want in a professor. I found myself looking forward to class and even to writing my papers. Take this class, you'll learn a lot and enjoy doing it.