Sean Hawkins - University of Toronto - St. George Campus, Toronto, ON

Professor: Sean Hawkins

Department: History

College: University of Toronto - St. George Campus, Toronto, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIS391Y
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Hawkins has high standards but will work with you and ultimately wants you to succeed. For HIS391, dont take the course if you arent open with reading biographies. Although he might be intimidating in class, go meet with him in his office hours! He loves discussing topics from class and relating them to the present! Great course

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIS391Y
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

There is a lot of reading and writing, but it's a humanities course: by your third year you should know the drill. The readings he assigns are very carefully chosen and are worth the effort to read. Hawkins doesn't cut corners and expects quality writing. Lectures are amazing! Will make you a much sharper critical thinker and writer!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIS391Y
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

There is a lot of reading and writing, but it's a humanities course: by your third year you should know the drill. The readings he assigns are very carefully chosen and are worth the effort to read. Hawkins doesn't cut corners and expects quality writing. Lectures are amazing! Will make you a much sharper critical thinker and writer.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIS391Y
• 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:

Look, Prof Hawkins can be a bit annoying sometimes, but overall he's a great guy. I highly recommend going to his office hours and getting to know him on an individual basis.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIS391Y
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took his class a while back but trust me when I say this man is special. In four months, he completely changed the way I approached the world, he also made me a much much better academic writer. At the time I did not know it, but now I can see the benefits of what he taught me.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIS295Y1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

An excellent scholar of Africa, but as a professor Hawkins is decent but not excellent. While he does explore amazing avenues and give excellent insights, he can be a little vague at times or leave too much to imagination for an excellent professor. He's very friendly, engaging & thoughtful, it's just he's a bit disorganized & vague at times.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST296
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Excellent scholar and professor! It is not often that you encounter a mind such as this.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIS391
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Hawkins is a remarkable professor. He completely altered my worldview and I am forever grateful for it. He is a little unorganized and sometimes almost impossible to reach. However, he goes above and beyond to help you out once you get a hold of him. If you are the kind of person that can go with the flow, take his class. You won't regret it.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIS391Y1
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Prof Hawkins was great. He really took the time to explain the different themes to the students and was clearly passionate about the material. He's a harsh marker so make sure to go to his office hours to get information before AND after you receive assignments. Also go see him during office hours! He will spend hours helping you out. Great prof.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIS295
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Worst professor I have had in 3 years at UofT. Lectures not relevant to assignments and is often very scattered. Clearly loves to hear himself talk.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HIS295Y
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Probably the worst professor I've had in my academic career. He isn't too keen on explaining what he wants his students to do. Furthermore, his assignments make no sense. How am I supposed to do better if I don't know what I'm doing? Would not recommend taking ANY of his courses. You're screwing yourself over if you do.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIS295
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Terrible moral relativist. Compared the USA's three strikes your out law to Sharia law. He claims that we should get rid of ideas of nationhood. He is at least hard on misogyny. Doesn't give breaks during his 2 lectures. He likes to start going on tangents that have nothing to do with the course. The course has no real objective.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIS487
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Hawkins is an amazing professor. His course had a profound effect upon me, completely challenging my worldview. That is precisely what university should be about. Asides from being an incredibly intelligent man, Hawkins also takes great interest in his students and expends much time and energy going out of his way to help you out. Great man.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIS391
• 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:

AVOID! This course felt more like an English literature course, that a history course. Way to many assignments for a full year course and a very hard marker.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIS391
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Hawkins is a polarizing figure- you either love him or hate him, there is no in between. His course is more of an intellectual exercise rather than a linear narrative of history. If you prefer a linear narrative history, I can't recommend the course. Be warned- you have to real work hard in this order to do well in tests and assignments.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIS486
• 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:

He is a complete bully and has made several students cry. He invites people to speak to him only to belittle them. His idea of helping people is to repeatedly ask them questions (in a harassing manner) but offers no clarity. He has no regard for the way he treats students. Only take this course if you have a thick skin.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST487F
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He rambles, making it difficult to contribute to discussion. Sought extra help for an assignment, he was very rude and unprofessional. He is not very good at explaining things. He lacks clarity and is not succinct. Definitely do not recommend taking his courses.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIS391
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Probably the worst professor I've had in my academic career. Hawkins is a really intelligent man but an awful lecturer. Lectures had no structure and he constantly trailed off on irrelevant tangents. He was not particularly helpful and preferred to condescend rather than offer advice. The course material was great, but he certainly wasn't.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIS391
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I cant stress how amazing professor Hawkins is, and how amazing his course has been. If you looking for something easy dont take this course, you are required to learn something in Prof. Hawkin's class. All the work is definitely worth it, because what you learn extends far beyond the classroom.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIS0000
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Any student who is quintessentially uninterested in learning should opt not to enrol in any course taught by Professor Hawkins. He is brilliant, innovative, passionate about education and it?s quality, and incredibly helpful if given the opportunity.