Hilmar Pabel - Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

Professor: Hilmar Pabel

Department: History

College: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST336
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Passionate professor. He wants you to be a better student and makes the material engaging and interesting. He gives great feedback, but its easy to take his comments too personally. He does not mark at an undergrad level, and is definitely the hardest marker In my entire history major. Loved the class, cried over assignments. Lucky to get a B.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST320
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Pabel makes a somewhat dry (and very info-heavy) topic (the Reformation) engaging, and assigns various types of papers which keeps it from getting repetitive. He actually uses Canvas(!), gave me technical and historical feedback on my papers, and provides a great syllabus. Really available for asking questions or discussing ideas.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIS223
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

It was an absolute pleasure to be Pabel's student. His lectures are captivating; instead of giving you boring details about history, he delved into the culture and mentality of early modern Europeans. His marking is on the harder side, but his comments are really helpful to improve on future assignments. I plan on taking further classes with him.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIS223
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Honestly the worst prof at SFU, don not take this course, I needed one history credit to graduate as a 4.0 student and he ruined it all. I do not understand how he is employed. All he wants is students to fail. I can get over the reading and homework, but honestly just help people succeed not fail! On a power trip and just plain rude and unhelpful

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST336
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Does not grade at an undergraduate level. I got 15% lower grade in his class than my next lowest class grade. Gives you no room for your own ideas on papers. Really boring class lectures but you had to go for the participation grade. Honestly did not learn anything new or valuable in this class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 223
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

It was a relief when lectures wrapped up.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST223
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Pabel is one of the most respected Early Modern German History scholars in the world, so it really is a privilege to be his student. That said, he is a very tough marker, almost to the point of unfairness, but he doesn't give tests, only quizzes, which is nice. Definitely not a good professor for your GPA, but worth it for history majors.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Best history prof at SFU!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIST320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Best class and best prof I've ever had at SFU. Make sure you visit him in office hours during the course he provides immensely valuable insight and resources. My ability to think critically sky-rocketed after taking this course! Highly recommend.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIST320
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

An experienced professor who challenges his students in an attempt to bring the best out of them. The most reading intensive course I've ever taken, and the quizzes are on the most minute details of these readings. I felt that the marking on essays was fair enough, and he was available for help & nice enough to give it when you needed it.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HIST288
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

worst prof

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST288
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Terrible prof! Lost my 4.11 GPA because of him. Something wrong with the way he marks. Do NOT take a class with him if you want to keep your GPA where it's at. If you don't care, then by all means do. But prepare to spend more time on that class than you do any other class and STILL get the worst mark you've EVER gotten.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIST280
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Terrible terrible prof

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST280
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

great!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST212
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Hard marker but extremely nice prof, who is also extremely smart.Knows everything about what he's teahing. Explains things very clearly, and is the type of prof who actually seems to care about the students, and actuaolly takes his job seriously (I like the fact that he wears a suit to class everyday-shows hes a university prof not a grad student.)

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIST320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Pabel's class was certainly challenging and required a lot of time and effort, but unlike many other history classes I have taken, I actually feel I truly learned a lot about the course content. He has a lot of knowledge on the topic of European history and his lectures were always thoroughly prepared.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST223
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Ie njoy history, and humanities but I feel like Pabel ruined early modern Europe for me forever. Extremely hard marker on papers and quizzes. Closed minded to new views or concepts, used extremely snobby elitist oxford texts. He obviously is a smart man and has a deep interest in the subject, but your views better be EXACTLY the same as his.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIST225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

this is the hardest marking professor i have ever had. he is very rigid in his delivery, and only allows things done one way. he had a 15 minute quiz worth 5% of the entire class grade based on a 350 page book. i would never take a class from this prof again.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIST223
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He thinks all of us have only his course to take care of. He imposes pointless ban on primary sources. Plus, he obviously favours some students to others. Unless you're into absurd history or have 1 entire semester just for his one course, avoid at all cost or all your other courses WILL be pulled backward.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIS439
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

mean-spirited and virtually impossible to get above a mediocre mark. Hilmar seems to relish in his student's misery. he is quick to condensendingly correct any little mistake you madeke and will find any reason to not give you a good grade. avoid.