Carlos Contreras - Grossmont College, El Cajon, CA

Professor: Carlos Contreras

Department: History

College: Grossmont College, El Cajon, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great teacher! Work consists of packets, chapter quizzes, and one essay for the entire course. lectures are meaningful. the 1 hour class time is his enemy, lets say he plans for about 5 things, we will only get to 3 at most. Expect to be a week off the syllabus(he accommodates appropriately) . Be on top of reading to pass midterm and final essays.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I've never received lower than a C when I started college. I failed this class. He's disorganized, changing due dates, moving off topic and took over a month to grade our midterm. One essay throughout the semester and all he gives you is an "elevator pitch". No outline due, no rough draft and he plans it around the midterm, so even more stress.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

The work in his class is only midterm, final, quizzes online (easy) and homework is journal papers and 1 essay, but they are very easy. Professor Contreras was available for office hours and really cared about you students. I recommend taking his class.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIS109
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Negatives: Doesn't follow syllabus, doesn't follow deadlines, uses a single rubric for all 5 papers, waits a month after papers are due to start grading, doesn't reply to emails for weeks, uses instructions that are out of date, requires you read way too much, essays all share the same prompt Positives: Good at being disorganized and unclear

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

If you have ADD be very careful! Although Contreras is passionate about this subject his lectures tend to be very disorganized and fast-pace, making note taking extremely hard. There is a lot of homework with confusing and ever-changing deadlines. Also the density feels more like a masters program than a GED course. Good guy, bad teacher.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Contreras is a great teacher. I had an amazing time in his class and learned a lot. If you do your homework and the reviews you will pass the class.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SUJECT BUT IT IS JUST TO LECTURE HEAVY AND TO MANY VIDEOS. UNORGANIZED. LECTURES AND HOMEWORK HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TESTS. GETS SIDE TRACKED

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great guy, but very unorganized. Canvas files are poorly sorted, lectures from one big messy powerpoint, syllabus is almost useless. He gives LOTS of work: mostly as journals requiring mini-essays w/ participation. It adds up to 162 mini-essays. Stressful! Probably the only available HIST115, so make groups and STUDY TOGETHER! Hellish otherwise!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIST114
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Contreras was always available for office hours and really cared about you students had to say. He does lecture a far amount but his lectures are interesting. I highly recommend him if you want to take history with him.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: SOC215
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Has his masters in Stats so knows the course material.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HISTORY109
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

There was a quiz every Sunday that was 20 questions, ALOT of readings were assigned & it was just really boring. There was a bunch of discussion board essays that he made us do & a long 5-8 page paper at the end of the semester. Then a midterm & final. It was hectic and historys already boring enough.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Very passionate & knowledgeable (to the point where he won't stop talking b/c he loves the subject so much). Cares about his students. I hate history but d. It's easy as long as you put in the effort. Highly encourage asking him for help b/c he will gladly do it! Very fair. Graded on quizzes (online except 2), 1 paper, midterm, final & homework.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIS109
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

one of the few teachers I learned well from, he obviously cares about what he teaches and is very knowledgeable. Be prepared to write papers and long free answer questions on tests (im talking pages). You will come out with a real understanding of the subject. He was also very helpful in making sure we had any course material we needed.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST114
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I took him for Hist 114. Amazing class. We read a lot but thats expected in a history class. He really went in depth and spoke with a real passion about history. As long as you read and do the writing assignments, you should have no problem in the class. He is very straight forward and gives you a lay out of when everything is due in the syllabus.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Good class, good prof, but NSSP controversy arises again. History taught from a limited perspective becomes not so much history but vanity press. Dr. Baydo is on this site & his printings have been discussed elsewhere. But this is community college, lots of fun here. This prof will give you an A if you restrict your reports to the info given by him

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIS109
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He's a good teacher. he explains everything clearly. You are gonna have a quiz every week. All the quiz questions are in the book. you have a 5-8 pages paper due at the end of the semester. His tests are written there are 0 multiple test questions. He only gives two tests. midterm and final test.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST115
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Pretty good professor. Very nice and is passionate about the Early Americas. There is a decent amount of work in this class so it is not one you should take lightly. Show up and do your work, and you will have a good grade in the class

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIS109
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

His syllabus for History 109 is 20 pages.....20 people!!! The amount of work, reading, and studying required is rediculous. This is an entry level History, general education class and its as if I'm in a masters program. He is very knowledgeable but he didn't respond to my email when I asked him about my test score and this is only the first week.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIS114
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Great Professor. There's a lot of reading and weekly quizzes but if you read the weeks assignment you'll pass easily. He also assigns a lot of videos but they make the class interesting. The course is heavy and extensive so I wouldn't take it if you're taking anything important. Other then that it was a fun class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIST126
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Contreras is incredibly underrated. He spends so much time researching the latest information to ensure he 100% accurate in his lectures. He puts together all his own worksheets and is constantly sharing news articles and the latest trending topics which relate back to lectures. He changed my understanding on so many topics. Would take again