Joel Franks - San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Professor: Joel Franks

Department: History

College: San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: AMS1A
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Lightweight tough grader on essays and exams. It's like barely anyone gets above 90%. Super chill and easy tho. There are reading responses every week. 15 of them, but you only have to do ten. The first 10 you do, those get graded. So if you don't feel like writing one on a certain week, don't half-ass it: skip it. Just make sure you get 10 in.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: AAS33AB
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Most of his tests are online and he gives you the entire day to work on them. All in class works are also basically free points and offers extra credit. Professor can be boring at times, but cares about the subject and is pretty funny at times.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: AMS1B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

EASY GRADING IF YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO CLASSS. SUPER NICE!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: AAS33AB
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This professor was a decent teacher. His grading is easy if you put the effort. Lectures may sometimes be boring, but the class was okay overall. There was 2 midterm, 2 paper, and 1 final.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: AAS33AB
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Had him with Kwan. Both weren't my faves, but def preferred Franks. Taking notes during lectures are really important for exams, which are all online and often formatted as short answers and an essay. I recommend bringing your laptop. Can ramble when he lectures and likes to drop f bombs like no other profs, but I definitely had worse lecturers.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: AAS33A
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are important for notes and future papers/exams but he goes on tangents so often that it's difficult to know what is worth taking notes on. It's hard to stay focused when he rambles unless I listen to his entire sidetracked story to try to find the main point.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: AAS33AAAS33B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Overall good teacher. Approachable. Easy grader. I had him and Professor Do for two semesters. Went to 2 EC events during the second semester with them and it definitely helped.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: AAS33A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Even though there are moments where he stutters a lot in class, you'll do fine in this class as long as you take good notes and ask him questions (if necessary).

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: AAS33B
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His lectures were long and annoying cause he tries to be funny and it doesnt rly work. Follows typical AAS structure of 2 midterms and 1 final, both are MCQ, 1 short essay, and 1 long essay. He's knowledgeable in the material but he gives off a cranky vibe most of the time. Essay assignments are long and the online quizzes aren't easy peasy.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: AMS1B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I don't recommend taking him. If you're taking AMS1A in the fall, take Brahinsky or Guenter. Franks' lectures are slow and put you to sleep. You can definitely pass the class with a good grade from him but you'll be bored out of your mind. Sometimes he can be funny when he curses but only for a second. Then he goes back to stuttering.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: AAS33B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

How does one accurately summarize this Professor? An incessant stutter, a Napoleon complex, and the lexicon of a sailor all constitute Frank's demeanor in class. The way he pontificates during lectures is wholly condescending.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: AAS33B
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Knows his stuff and is really animated. Pretty approachable for assistance and understandable. Personally, think his lectures can get boring (def fallin' asleep), but if you keep up with the assigned readings and answer the prep guides, you should be fine. Pretty chill class. He responds better when the class is interacting with him.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: AMS1A
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very good lecturer, very helpful when connecting the lecture with the overall themes of the class. He is not a very fair grader though, my essay I put a lot of time into he gave a 84% and then the one I did last minute he gave a 86%. I don't think anyone in my class got a A, not a hard class just very time consuming but it is 6 units.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: AAS33A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Great teacher. I learned from him a lot. He understand his material and he is very approachable for assistance. I took 33a and 33b with him. Easy to get an A if you take good notes in his lecture.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: AAS33A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

pretty funny guy and lectures are somewhat interesting. Very easy grader and wants students to pass. don't buy his own textbook. it was barely used in class and not at all on tests.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: AAS33A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Franks. F is for fluff. His lectures are funny and full of fluff. No need to buy his book that he wrote himself. It's also full of fluff. Read the textbooks, and try your best to distinguish the main points, if any. Fluffy fluff fluff fluff.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: AAS33AB
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Knows his stuff. Tries to make lectures engaging. Pretty funny at times. We never had mc tests but instead had to write paragraphs/essays which were not too bad. As long as you attend lectures, you'll be good! For me, 33B was more interesting than A since B was more of the Asian part. Overall, an average class that you should be able to get an A on

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: AAS33B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took his class with Kong. There is no study guide for this class, so you need to stay on top of the readings. Definitely attend his lectures, since those things tend to pop up on the written exams. His final is cumulative.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: AAS33B
• 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:

He's a good teacher, gives out a lot of helpful tools which I didn't use so I didn't get a good grade. Grades kinda harshly though.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: AAS33B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Pretty good teacher, unfortunately he does not supply study guides so if you're taking a test you're going to have to read all the chapters that were assigned. Essays are pretty easy too.