Robert Simpkins - San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Professor: Robert Simpkins

Department: Anthropology

College: San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ANTH11
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Amazing teacher, probably best at SJSU. Must attend class to pass. he loves when you put in extra effort to go to office hours or email him questions. I learned alot and enjoyed the whole semester. Take this class!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST139
• 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:

You can easily pass this class if you attend his lectures and just follow his directions for the essays. He goes through his slides fairly quickly, so make sure you get all your notes down as well as the extra information he gives not included in his slides.

Rating # 3

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

The class can work for you if you have the time for it. Making study guides for the tests took me a lot of time. However, if you make the study guides you will do much better on the tests. Write some names of places, dates, specific people etc. He is very helpful when you email about papers and offers you links and authors.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIST139
• 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:

You must be there everyday. Test are basically quoting his lectures, I would recommend taking notes on a laptop since he talks extremely fast.He is somewhat intimidating but I ended up with an A. When writing my research paper he sent me links of different sources I could use. Very helpful! A lot of work but not difficult or impossible.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are very interesting, and Simpkins has a cute dorky sense of humor. It can be hard to remember which sources to cite during in-class essay exams (lecture, Fagan, Feder, videos), and I nearly flunked the first two exams. Miraculously received a B in the class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a strict grader, but he is more than willing to help if you ask. (He's pretty specific about what he wants in assignments, so follow directions) He covers a lot of ground in class, so attendance is a must if you expect to do well on exams. The class was tough, but I enjoyed it and his dry sense of humor.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: SOCS139
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

boring boring boring. hard grader, talks way to fast and his slides are not available online so write what he says and only that. buy the course reader because his midterms are on that

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: SOCS139
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He lectures quickly with hardly enough room for notes. Make sure to take notes on what he SAYS not just the slides! Listen for common ties between topics because that's what the writing prompts are about. The class is ALL writing and he settles for nothing less than good quality writing.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you like reading and writing, take him! 4 take home essays and 1 research paper, but can revise after peer reviews Takes forever to grade essays & the last 3 exam due dates crammed just days apart at end of sem Very pick about papers Use books and take attendance Class might b boring, need to take good notes, n ask him for help on papers

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• 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:

LOVE HIM. He's very particular about exams, but if you enjoy the subject matter and do as he asks...you're golden. He's extremely helpful & intelligent; you can tell he enjoys what he does, and cares about the subject he teaches. Would take him again if I wasn't an English major & trying to get out! Highly recommended.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

TAKING HIS CLASS NOW AND ITS DIFFICULT. THERE ARE 4 ESSAYS AND ONE RESEARCH PAPER. THE PAPER TOPICS ARE VERY DIFFICULT. CHANCES ARE YOULL HAVE TONS OF QUESTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE ESSAYS, DONT WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: SOCS139
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Take home exams comprised of all and 2 hw assignments. The professor seems to grade very hard. Class lectures are not very clear and feedback on papers are not very helpful. He takes forever to hand back exams/exercises so you don't really know how you're doing in the class. If I could take it back, I wish I hadn't take this professor.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SOCS139
• 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:

I read the reviews, but still had to take the class. It is a lot of work, but then again a world history class in one semester should be seeing how much it is covering. His class is not as impossible as other students make it seem. He reminds me of Ross Geller from Friends :) I thought i was going to get a B or C, but finished with an A :)

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• 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:

Really nice guy, but I thought this class was too much work for a basic upper division GE. Very picky about papers - went out of my way to do extra work but still didn't get an A. Tests were open note but VERY long - had to guess on the last 5 or so without reading the questions. Not impossible to get an A/B, just very hard to get there.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ANTH13
• 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 is a great teacher, he tells you exactly what will be on his "quizzes"-they are actually more like tests since they take the whole period, but he lets you use a whole page of notes. The assigned reading is pretty interesting, he is very helpful and open to answering any questions, he is also very easy on the eyes.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ANTHR160
• 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:

Attending every class, paying attention, taking an entire notebook full of notes is NOT enough to pass this class so be prepared to put in a LOT of extra work for a passing grade. He never returned my paper and graded hard on other assignments

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: SOCS139
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Totally blamed his lack of desire to teach this class on the college. He failed to return papers and projects, changed the syllubus a half dozen times and basically proved that you being educated in a field does NOT make you an educator in that field.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: SOCS139
• 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:

This course is multi-departmental and comprises world history from the dawn of man until 1750. Yikes! Fall 08 was Prof. Simpkins first time teaching this behemoth class. At first, there is seemingly a lot of work, but tests and quizzes are open note, class is primarily student-centered, and the final paper is done in 3-parts. Good guy.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• 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:

Textbook reference, lecture/video notes, and discussion amongst classmates is utterly important for this course. Simpkins can be a bit disengaging due to his monotone voice and gentle manner. Try not to drift away during lecture. The curriculum is actually quite interesting. He is also very good looking in my opinion!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ANTH160
• 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:

Great professor! Makes lectures interesting. 2 open-note midterms, 2 papers, and options for extra credit. He provides really clear instructions so you know exactly what you need to do to get an A. Be prepared to do a lot of reading. Test questions are really specific but if you use his study guide and take good notes, exams are a piece of cake.