Former Student Advice

"Make notecards and study for the tests in advance." - JS

"pay attention to the lectures." - RJ

"Pay attention in class, after each class revisit what you learned. When I did that I understood things better and I became more engaged with the topic." - KM

"Focus in class because it’s easy when you go back and study." - YI

"I would say to take notes at all times. You don’t need to write down everything being said but noting the important things (especially hints on tests and quizzes) goes a long way." - MO

"I would say BEFORE STUDYING YOUR WAY YOURSELF ask your professor what would be the best way to study (I did really well on the midterm because I asked and did what he told me)." - HS

"Take this class if you are good at creative writing. If not you will either meet his expectations or you won’t because you generally don’t know what they are until your final grade at the end which isn’t like to be above a B." - NB

"I would say asking question that you dont know." - CJ

"Tried to research ahead of time of a lecture so you can flex your cool facts at professor Dinh." - TD

"I would say to stay in task and do all there assignments." - AR

"This is a creative writing class. not a multiple choice history class. he’s lying when he says everyone should pass with a B or higher." - NK

"study the academic terms and the quiz questions!!" - AH

"That he is the best teacher when it comes to dsps students and care about your accommodations. And also he will help you with anything that is stumping you with the class." - DO

"Just do your best, taking notes really helps too and don’t be afraid to ask questions. He’s a kind and understanding professor, so you’re in good hands." - CB

"Pay close attention during lecture presentations and make flashcards on academic language in order to review lecture slides and study for tests." - TS

"Make sure to study a few nights before the test so you know all of the material" - AR

"Read the news for 5 minutes a day(or at least check it), I don't know why but I stay update to date with modern day politics/economics(I firmly believe they are connected), it helps me to understand the class material much better. It is very difficult to find news sources that are neutral(since most mainstream media news sources are very extreme) so don't let the news make you mad, just take the information and you form your own judgement." - BL

"Attempt the weekly quiz seriously" - CJ

"Pick up a few things each class and know them in the future. I wouldn’t say my study habits were the most ideal when it came to preparing for the tests but knowing some not all of of the terms helped a ton because Professor Dinh would set his tests up in a very student friendly way and if you retained some of the information in class you would benefit greatly from knowing it and being able to produce answers which proved you knew what you were talking about." - CP

"Actively listen and participate during class in order to make most of the lectures. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, Prof Dinh is very patient! Review the lecture objectives after class and make flash cards for the key terms." - MKS

"Dedicate time to creating a study plan before hand and comprehend the meaning and context of lecture, plan goals to accomplish for the day and sleep schedule to be in order

A class that seriously treating the history but with an easy and vivid atmosphere. Grade is tied to how much you have learned but easy to get a high score." - AJ

"Definitely make flash cards, whether it’s on Quizlet or paper. This was probably my number one tool that helped me succeed in this class." - JG

"Study the vocab words of a lecture during its week and review the slides for a couple of minutes a day if you can" - JD

"Just study and learn. If non native English speaker can earn good grades that had almost no idea about American History, so can you. Just put a little afford"  - AM

"Very fun class a lot of writing" - LM

"Turn in every assignment and if you try you’ll get an A" - CG

"Study the vocab and listen/take notes on the connections in class lectures." - WM

"It’s better to turn something in than nothing in." - MT

"Pay attention to when professor says something is on the final." - DG

"I would say stay organized with the material and studying. The quizzes are very helpful so try your best as they are almost a preview of the in person exams and midterm/final. Use the lecture aims and vocab as well." - MS

"Enjoy it and have fun. Although the exams can be stressful it’s really an enjoyable class with a great professor to help guide and support you." - JS

"Study your terms try and connect them and finish all your assignments . Dont slack towards the end finish the race and try your best. At the beginning of the semester i had exclaimed that i wish i would have tested out through high school but after getting to know Mr Dinh He was a great professor and really put us as his first priority . Not only this but the fact that he preaches the grade isn’t everything means a lot because no one should feel like a failure . I wish i could have another history class with Mr Dinh because his type of teaching is phenomenal" - AD

"Should be longer than an hour & 15 minutes , two times a weej" - PA

"Engage and enjoy. Those two things are key to performing well and learning well, no matter the class or context." - AM

"Continue to study vocabulary throughout the semester. Take the 30 minutes to learn 15 vocab words now, or else you’re stuck learning 150 by the end of the semester." - KH

"Academic language in canvas helps with test" - KR

"Study, study, study. As well as take plenty of notes." - DL

"all i can day is do the quizzes i did not study at all this semester" - KK

"Study in advance, ask questions, take notes ahead of time to be able to listen to him speak as the lecture is happening." - SL

"Make two master Google Docs. One will be for all the vocab. Writing the definition and any extra detail for each word. On the other doc, answer the Lecture objective questions. That’s helped me.

Focus more on the last section more for final exam" - SP

"Simply do the work. Although it feels time consuming and can become annoying coupled with the assignments from other classes, you're better off completing it rather than not doing anything at all. Even if it is not to your standards, or you don't get the grade you want, you learn from the process and it pays off when completing exams or quizzes. Also pay attention tot he learning objectives when studying too. I didn't realize till later how much more studying those could have helped me." - IH

"Work hard" - YW

"Keep up with lecture, ensure you understand all key terms, and stick with the work. It’s not that hard :)" - SG

"For anyone who is about enroll in this class, please talk to Professor Dinh if you have any questions. His explanations of the assignments and lecture segments are not difficult to understand.

Make sure to check daily on canvas for Friday quizzes as you may forget since it’s the end of the week, make sure to take notes during class as it helps retain info, go back and review information as it’s really important and review academic vocabulary so it helps you remember when writing." - IM

"Stay on top of each week and its assignments. Each week goes by fast leading onto the next week. It's very easy to fall behind. Also attend Professor's Community Time (CT) for quiz and exam feedback." - SR

"I like the professor" - RV

"Stay on task and try your best and focus on key terms" - ES 

"Do your stuff minimum 2 days in advance, it’s not overly difficult but the reading and stamps analysis can take a while." - AJ

"Please study and show up every day to class." - JS

"study and be able to answer the lecture aims in depth" - KW

"Just do the assignments and pay attention in class and you’ll be set. Professor Dinh is very nice :)" - TK

"Keep up and stay on top of work and you will do well" - JC

"Practice the vocabulary regularly" - HF

"Feel happy to enjoy the class! Remember the slides well to get good grade in test :) Do not be late on homework" - CY

"Attend the lectures and pay attention, you’ll not only remember more, but Prof Dinh gives hints about what will potentially be test questions." - AET

"Professor Dinh is very good with all of his students. He made history interesting and he likes all of his students the same. This is my favorite history class, he is also great with DSPS students too." - GO

"Take notes of the feedback provided by the professor in order to improve your performance. Put in your full effort" - FV

"Study the lectures and pay attention to vocab words. Also don’t let people in group projects make decisions for you and change your work, because that will affect your grade in a negative way." - EO

"Make sure to study what was given in class the same day. do NOT leave anything to accumulate otherwise before you know it, you’re already way behind and have a load of memorization to do. Don’t skip lectures, make sure you pay attention and take notes in class." - JD

"Try to get the STAMPS done early. They do take a while. Also try not to procrastinate on the historiography project." - ZR

"The class structure is more challenging, and don’t expect multiple choice question tests" - JA

"PAY ATTENTION! If you listen to the lecture he is literally giving you the answers to the quizzes, and exams! If you have been drifting off during class he will even speak directly to where you need to pay attention to “this part!” Pay attention, do the work, show up, participate and you will be fine!!" - LH

"Three words: engage, explore, and question. Throughout the course, participating in class engagement activities whether it was class discussions or engaging with the material via revisions and out-of-class review were extremely helpful. Explore as in look for new information and new narratives — even through assignments such as the primary source or secondary source activities. And question as in challenge your own ideas and question information that you read and research you analyze. I found the class really enjoyable and this will be an unforgettable class for me :)" - AG

"Buy flashcards and listen to the advice Professor Dinh has." - RM

"Active Recall Study method will be your best friend" - AA

"Do not hesitate to ask for help" - MT

"Nice professor you will learn more with him" - OA

"Do your assignment on time and study hard for the tests" - NS

"You guys got it ! i dont think i did soo well bc history is my weakest subject bUT you guys got it !! :))" - LD

"The work is pretty easy, just don’t think about it to much and get it done." - CO

"Do your homework :). It’s super helpful and it will kill your grade if you don’t." - EH

"Please please please make flashcards of the academic language as you go through the slides each week don’t procrastinate" - DC

"Don’t fall behind and attend every class and enjoy every class." - JF

"Study in advance for exams, make study guides" - KU

"Take the practice quizzes and use the academic language to study along with the slides." - SD

"If you did not have a good grade at the first place, don’t give up. As soon as you adjust your pace and study harder everything gets better." - SH

"Use the academic language as a guide to focus on when studying and engage in class." - AS

"Learn the academic language and make sure to fully understand the primary/secondary sources." - BT

"He is one of the nicest professor I've ever met! Please commit yourself in this class, do everything Prof. Dinh said and you should be doing very well in this class! Never give up on yourself! Trust the work you have build! It won't be too easy but you will feel the joy when you achieve things in this class! Good luck!" - DT

"Honestly try to keep up on the work and if you don't feel confident in what you are doing then just try and get feedback so you know what to expect from the class course. Also professor dinh is very flexible and welling to pass and educate students. So just so him your really trying." - MG

"Embrace the community within the class, becoming friends with the people around you is the best way to feel more engaged and learn from a variety of different backgrounds and their perspectives.

Review lectures and notes sometime after class in the same week to improve memory recall and retention.

There is a lot of guess work and planning your writing involved in preparing for tests. Highlight the most important things in each lecture as you go and plan what you would want to write beforehand since there is basically no time to brainstorm during the tests.

Communicate with Professor in advance." - MD

"Study for Exams" - AD

"Make sure to always pay attention in class as Prof. Dinh often drops hints on what will be on coming exams. Also try to befriend your classmates, it’s always good to have people you can talk to about the class so you don’t feel so alone!" - CM

One of the best ways to study for the semester final or midterm is flash cards with the academic vocabulary. After every lecture make a pile of flash cards with those words and try to memorize them so it doesn’t pile up at the end.  -AF

Keep doing what you're doing! the passion you have for this subject shows! I wasn't a big history buff prior to this class, but the way you taught made me change my opinion! -CT

Read often -EF

Flash cards, Flash CARDS, FLASH CARDS. -VC

Don’t slack on your work and get it done on time or else it becomes a lot to deal with.  -LK

Take professor Dinh’s advice on how to succeed in the class that will come in clutch throughout the semester to get an A and ask questions  -AR

This class offers a new perspective on how history is created and twists the common stories. Make sure to pay attention to the lectures and thoroughly study the vocabulary because it will really help on quizzes and tests. It was a class that was extremely enjoyable because it truly made learning fun and provided a welcoming environment. -NM

The most effective way of studying is reviewing the academic language because it will also help you remember the rest of the lecture. -AK

Make sure always reference the slide decks to prep for the midterm and final. Also, take extensive notes and don’t be afraid to consult Professor Dinh when you are puzzled on the feedback that he gives -SM

Very detail oriented regarding lecture material which has made understanding and learning much easier. In addition, Professor Dinh has a fantastic attitude towards teaching and makes what others may find as a “boring subject” very enjoyable and quite interesting. The class was highly engaging and the feedback offered in exams and other assessments is helpful. He truly strives to make your learning experience both memorable and enjoyable. -AU

Professor Dinh is one of the best professors I’ve had so far. In order to be successful in his class, you should be sure to complete and turn in each assignment on time, pay attention to his lectures, and make flashcards for all of the academic language after each lecture.  -CR

All of Professor Dinh’s advice on how to succeed in this class is enormously relevant. Don’t ignore it.  -AR

Focus on studying the academic language for each unit and doing all the assignments in time. -JP

Study more -CS

Just study little by little everyday on the material and don't miss lectures and you will do just fine! Also turn in this on time :) -FCA

Professor Dinh is fair, engage in class, stay focus on every word coming out of his mouth, and understand the message bihind all videos and extra credit assignment , because some time those videos and extra credit one were the tool that helped me to understand many thng in the lectures 

writing skills were improved by doing the assigned essays , mny thing s to say , but stay on tome of your assignments and attend every minute in the class -ZJ

Have focus and concentrate on the aims of the lectures and the academic language. -SN

Focus on studying the academic language for each unit and doing all the assignments in time. -CS

Do your work on time-SM

Don't need to be prepared ahead in this class, pay attention and do the assignments, and you will succeed! -VK

Make sure you set aside time to study and do assignments. Make sure you learn from mistakes to get the hang of the secondary and primary sources. -AG

do your work and just pay attention because you would learn a lot and make some new friends -JG

Lecture aims are the gospel -JA

Do the extra credit. They’re easy and give you a little buffer room in your grade. -NW

Do stuff on time -MS

Make sure you look at the lecture themes and the academic language. When learning it try to find connections between different words or themes. The connections will help a lot of the exam and quizzes. -LW

pay attention 😜 -NV

Focusing on the classes and the sild, you will get great grade. -MZ

Proffesor Dinh is a very supporting person if there is any problems you have he is always there to reach out for you and to help in any way. -PQ

Reach out to the professor, he is very accommodating and understanding when situations come up. Also the lectures were really fun to learn about and it was super interesting to learn about, coming from someone who usually hates history -AG

DONT BE LAZY! READ THE SOURCES HE ASSIGN, THEY COME BACK IN THE FINAL!!! -DL

Make sure you turn in all your work ON TIME and study before the exams. -TB

Listen to what Mr. Dinh says in class and studying will not even be necessary. -KD

Take the class, its very fun, and definitely pay attention as he will give hints to what the quiz questions and exam essay questions might be. Make friends with the people sitting by you, give song suggestions, be a good student to professor Dinh :) -AM

Do not procrastinate -LV

study, always study because it helps you feel better in exams knowing you know your stuff. -SA

Don’t be shy! Always ask questions and voice your opinions and insights! -SR

Never think too much about it, take your time with the exams and quizzes. Just remember the world will still spin the same way. -HB

Pay attention to the academic language, don’t do the homework the day of, don’t be afraid to ask questions in class, try to attend the lectures it really helps, and don’t overthink things, also professor Dinh is really nice and understanding so don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help :) -SZ

Professor Dinh's class is without a doubt "different." It won't be just memorization. You won't learn about what wars happened at what year or what presidents did what. You're perspective of the world will change, probably forever. You'll get your hands dirty. You'll see things you may hope to forget. History will rewrite itself. If you are okay with that, then Dinh's class is the best. So long as you learn how to keep up with his pace, you'll do fine. -SM

Take strategic notes and really study the primary/secondary sources -IM

The lecture objectives are SO helpful when studying for quizzes and exams -AB

An understanding of the concepts is much more important than memorization, know how the individual vocab fit together like a puzzle. Try to do work ahead of time and break it down into parts so it’s less overwhelming. -EJ

Connect yourself to the lectures. Most of the lectures you learn the flip side of history, and it is very sad. So to connect yourself to the lectures, learn to be empathetic and put yourself in the shoes from the people in the histories of the past. -NN

If you truly listen and engage, it’s more like a pleasant and enjoyable learning part of the day rather than a class. -BB

There’s a lot of Primary and Secondary Sources you need to do, also be warned there are no study guides so you will have to study at your own pace when it’s time for a quiz or test. He’s also just a very cool guy and very nice. -BT

Make enough time for this class throughout your week, don't procrastinate! This is a really fun and interactive class. He's by far my favorite professor at IVC. -TS

Learning how the academic terms connect within each lecture is a great way to learn how the word is used, and how it applies to the time period. -CA

Answer the Lecture Aims and learn what the question is asking, you learn a lot more than you think from them. -CR

Don't procrastinate or else you'll have to retake the class. Take the opportunities for extra credit and resources given. Take time outside of class for studying. -AH

Lock In - RT

Have a lot of fun and always participate in class. -SH

You guys should be in person every class time, for passing the class. Even if u dont do good. -KM

Honestly just focus on the academic language and objectives when taking notes, also be present when doing the projects it helps a lot.  -HM

Please, respect yourself and do the work on time. - AP

Take notes with paper and pen instead of using any electronics because it is better for info memorization. -AG

Don’t procrastinate -CR

Just study read it out loud understand it. The lecture slides are more than enough to pass the class. If you make a connection to the lecture like if you can find it emotional or intriguing possibilities are you will remember it. -HS

Be kind, use the lectures and take a deep breath, Professor Dinh is on your side. -HT

I would say that this class is very great but especially Professor Dinh. I have had some trouble in this class but Professor Dinh has helped me with checking up and making sure I know that everything with be okay. He honestly was the best professor. Just make sure to take notes he does go a little fast. -BZ

If I had to give advice for future students I would say to answer all of the lecture objective questions in detail as you move through the class so it is less overwhelming to gather all the information before the final. Also just making sure to complete all work in a timely manner to ensure success in the class! -BJ

I would say to pay attention closely to things professor says during the lecture he emphasizes a lot on things that may be on the exams or quizzes. Also not to stress over to much just to be respectful in class and do your work! -RN

Do all the assignments on time!! Participate in the class! -TM

Check the question in every lecture - JL

Be prepared for putting a lot of effort in this class -JL

Y'all should take Professor Dinh's class. He’s a decent man and will walk you through the class. Learning history with your own perspective is the key. -ZL

Just do all the writing, the primary and secondary sources, and you will be ok. The exams are tough but as long as you payed attention you’ll be alright. -CL

Nothing you did your best in helping others and the ones who did reach out for help to . -VM

Really great teacher who really wants to see and help you to succeed in the class. If you put in the required work, it will be a fun class. -CJ

I would suggest to stay on top of learning the academic language because they are the core of every question asked on an exam and leaving learning them to the last minute will feel overwhelming. -CM

Professor Dinh’s class is very informative and he is an amazing teacher that genuinely cares for his students. -JL

Be able to prepare and ask for help for projects in advance -CF

I know it sucks, but if you just show up to every class, your grade is already a lot better than if you miss any. Also, turn in your assignments. Regardless how well you do on them, if you attend EVERY class and turn in EVERY assignment, you are GUARANTEED to pass. Unless, y'know, you do something REALLY bad, but you'd have to put in extra effort just to achieve that. So just...don't. Welp, good luck! :) -CH