Paul McDowell - Santa Barbara City College

Professor: Paul McDowell

Department: TBD

College: Santa Barbara City College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ANTHR121
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor McDowell is an extremely smart teacher,you can tell he knows his stuff, grading is straightforward and nicely laid out. He will also do his best to get back to you when you email him, keep in mind he has a massive course load among all the classes he teaches. Overall this class really changed my perspective on the many cultures there are.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The topics themselves are REALLY interesting although he is very monotone and there is rarely class participation. He wrote the textbook himself and it is very helpful, witty, and inspirational. He gives a ton of extra credit as well as quiz retakes.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ANTHRAPOLOGY
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Took his class and hated it... I only got a C in the class when I should have got an A because he said I only submitted 4 written assignments when I submitted 5. When I emailed him about it I had to keep reminding him who I was it became so difficult and time consuming that I finally just took the C.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ANTHRO109
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He is a terrible teacher. He drags on and isn't clear about what he's teaching, he reads off his slides and it's time for him to retire. He gives you 4 hour long assignments. The only upside is he doesn't give many I wouldn't recommend this teacher to anyone, which is sad because i was excited for the course.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CRN31643
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

If your major is Anthropology don't take this professor. Literally easiest class ever, first assignment is extra credit that's worth 40 points... Do the work and you will get an A no doubt about it.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

poor organization, difficult to understand his teachings, and not useful homework at all. Don't take!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

EXTREMELY easy, but very dry and boring. Easiest A I have gotten in my entire life, including high school etc. He is a very sweet old gentleman but you will not be able to understand anything he says or be able to stay awake. Spent no time studying and little doing homework, recieved almost 100%. Easy but SO boring. A for no effort!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Extremely poor organization. Can't get through a sentence without saying "um" or "uh" at least 10 times. I was really excited for this class going in and now dread it. Seems like a nice guy he is just way past his teaching days.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

a bit hard to understand. boring.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I really wanted to enjoy this class but the professor made this VERY difficult to do.He is hard to understand while in class and not helpful at all outside of it. I've asked him to give me feed back but he never got back to me. He shows videos that are outdated and uses textbooks he writes. This class has made me want to change majors to avoid him.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: 7051ANTHRO101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

If you are actually interested in Anthropology do not take this professor. He uses a horrible self-published, rambling "textbook" that has got to be one of the worst anthro texts I have ever laid eyes on. If you want an easy A then by all means, go for it, but I dropped and will take this course with a competent prof who uses an industry std text.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ANTHR124
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

easy teacher. just turn in the work and should be easy to pass. there is no test just write papers on the countries and dont procrastinate!!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ANTH122
• 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:

I tried the online, 1 unit class, but had to drop it. It was much more work than I had anticipated for 1 unit. If it had been 3 and semester-long, it would have been fine. Material for the class (movies, readings) ended in dead links often. You can work ahead. It has a very open format. I found him to be as helpful as he could, but limited.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ANTH104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The subject itself is pretty easy as long as you read the book. When I bothered showing up, I slept through class, and I easily got an A. If you do the homework, the written parts of the test are really easy. McDowell is impossible to understand though. He's really quiet and mumbly, but he's really sweet and super lenient on hw. Lots of easy EC.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The class it self is easy. The professor is the least helpful teacher I've ever had. He lost two of my assignments and I visited his office 3 times, talked to him in class at least 6 times, and he has not helped me one bit, regardless that this is his fault. I now how to go to administration to get this settled. This professor needs to retire.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ANTH104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

McDowell is a very softspoken and elderly gentleman and speaks in a halting and lilting manner. He can run on at times, but as long as you are paying attention, he is not that hard to understand. His assignments however, are very difficult and often downright impossible.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• 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:

If you're going to take his 8am class, you'll be dependable on caffeine for the rest of the semester. Easy A, if you attend everyday, reading not necessary, and turn in all assignments, plus he gives out A LOT of extra credit. super easy A

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ANTH103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He seems really out of it and is really hard to talk to about grades and assignments. But as long as you do your work and study for the tests, he is pretty easy. His tests are really easy as well.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

On 1st day of lecture, I was pretty shocked. He stutters/mumbles his words and seemed like he was in the clouds, so I thought the class was going to be bad..it turned out to be the easiest class I've ever taken! Lectures are boring but he plays cool videos, & he is a VERY easy grader & gives extra credit on every test and assignment,very lenient!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ANTH110
• 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:

I'm a linguistics major so I really enjoyed the Ling Anth class, despite McDowell's teaching methods being a little archaic (it's either video or lecture, sometimes he mixes it up and you get both!) I also took Anth 101 with him. Both classes, all exams = open book, but I feel like I learned a lot despite that.It really is what the student makes it