Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Instructor record · History · Fall 2022 – Spring 2024

Ling Zhang

History · 10 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
HIST 1710only instructor on recordHIST 2041only instructor on record ProvisionalHIST 2043only instructor on record ProvisionalHIST 2045only instructor on record ProvisionalHIST 4703only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
79BC evaluations10 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2022 – Spring 2024
72RateMyProfessors4 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 67% would take again
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
32ndMore challenging than 32% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
85BC — “Intellectually Challenging”10 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score. RateMyProfessors separately rates this instructor 56 out of 100 for difficulty — that IS a difficulty measure, but it is about the person across everything they teach, not about any one class, so it is shown here rather than folded into the number above.

What the workload rank is made of
34thMore work than 34% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
46BC — “Workload”10 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

Ratings from outside BC

Not evaluation data

Collected from RateMyProfessors, not from Boston College: 4 ratings, 67% would take again, difficulty 56 out of 100. Difficulty is not a quality signal in either direction — a harder course is not a worse one.

Anyone can post there — no @bc.edu check and no enrolment check — so it is weighted alongside the evaluation data, never above it.

The line

All 13 items · means across 10 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8314th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
805th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8520th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8722nd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8013th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
798th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8418th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8318th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
684th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
682nd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4634th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8532nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8842nd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Class by class

5 classes · 10 sections

How each position is worked outPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

HIST 1710 Nature and Power: Making the Modern WorldOvr88Chal69thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

4 sections on record · course itself rated 85 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 1710.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2023018385—
Fall 2023028385—
Fall 202201938740
Fall 202202928440
All 13 items for HIST 1710
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9242nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
848th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9243rd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9235th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8834th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8935th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9570th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8939th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
7910th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8213th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9369th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9463rd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

HIST 2041 China From Antiquity to the Middle AgesOvr76Chal14thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 72 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 2041.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2023018380—
Fall 202201696440
All 13 items for HIST 2041
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8410th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
836th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
839th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
848th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8215th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8415th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
783rd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8415th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
703rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
712nd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8314th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9147th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

HIST 2043 The First Emperor and the Rise of Imperial ChinaOvr69Chal5thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 69 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 2043.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202401807840
Spring 202301586040
All 13 items for HIST 2043
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
773rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
751st pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8310th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
837th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
723rd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
671st pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
816th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
796th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
714th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
540th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
785th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
787th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

HIST 2045 A Material and Cultural History of Food in ChinaOvr78Chal27thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 70 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 2045.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202301787040
All 13 items for HIST 2045
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
806th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
826th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
827th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8921st pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8214th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
774th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
826th pctl
Assignments & Feedback2 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
808th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8314th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8627th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8830th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

HIST 4703 Environmental Histories of WaterOvr75Chal29thWork93rd
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 70 out of 100. See the full board for HIST 4703.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202401757080
All 13 items for HIST 4703
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
783rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
710th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
806th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
859th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
734th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
753rd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
849th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
785th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
400th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
440th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
8093rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8729th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8833rd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.