Ahmed Samatar - Macalester College

Professor: Ahmed Samatar

Department: TBD

College: Macalester College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's knowledgable, no doubt. But you should expect lots of readings, presentations, discussions. Attendance is mandatory, he gets angry when you miss the class, and when you interrupt him. The papers are long, extremely long.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: INTL101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is not that approachable outside of office hours, and assigns relatively short books that are very dense reads. He's an average professor, nothing to special, but due to the lecture based focus and unapproachability with office hours I would not take again. Especially for first years.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very intimidating. Scared the crap out of me as a first-year. Incredibly intelligent and I learned a lot in the class but he is incredibly hard and strict. Take only if you are willing to write a lot, learn a lot, and tolerate his short-temper and anger-issues around the word "like"

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: INTL301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Samatar is easily the most brilliant and interesting professor I have has so far at Mac. Extremely tough, but working hard and doing well is very rewarding. Read everything he gives you and prepare to be both awed and scared.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: INTL380
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

iconically hard and inspirational. This is hardcore college academics and liberal arts education. TAKE!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

most inspirational, most tough prof ever seen. definitely worth taking

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: INTL11001
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Samatar is a phenomenal educator. My mind was blown after just about every lecture. If you like to slack off, do not take his class. One downside- he always is talking about his accomplishments. But then again, a man with his knowledge deserves to rub it in a little bit.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: INTL101
• 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:

I took his intro course as a first-semester freshman. While it shook up my way of viewing the world for the better, I wouldn't recommend that until you know how to write a solid essay. He is a riveting lecturer and I only wish he spent more time talking to us. He knows EVERYTHING, but he can be arrogant about that. Super worthwhile but scary.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BMPC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

If you attend the class u will decide to drop the paper but if be passion and attend the second class u'll find his class quite fun and u'll enjoy. but you have to work hard.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: INTL480
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

One of the best professors I have ever had. Extremely difficult to please, has high expectations, stubborn but very helpful if students show interest and passion. If you do honest work and put your all into the class, you'll do well. Do not expect anything easy about his classes. I am grateful to have taken his course.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: INTL480
• 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:

Best and most brilliant at Macalester. His lecture style is surprisingly engaging and his breadth of knowledge is deep and inspiring. However, if you want the 'A'- do exactly as Samatar says, otherwise, be prepared to settle with a 'B'.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: INTL480
• 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:

One of the absolute brightest and best at Macalester. His lecture style approach is surprisingly engaging, and his breadth of knowledge is deep and inspiring. If you want the A, do exactly as he says, if you want to think for yourself, be prepared to settle with a B.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• 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:

Brilliant professor. Dramatic and full of energy, his lectures (or tangents) will sometimes leave you simply amazed. He's definitely old school and a tad arrogant; be prepared for brutal honesty and directness. With dense material and high expectations, you will probably leave the class a different student.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• 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:

Will in spire pride in self and school, if you give him space to preach. Very old school in his teaching. Class ends up being lecture based. Set in his ways; values clarity and use of logic to back up your views.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• 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:

Inspires pride in self and school. A little old school, but worth the effort if you allow for a little ego.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• 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:

Very intense professor. Excellent overall, and extremely intelligent. Definetely difficult to please, definitely stubborn, definitely tangential, but probably among the top 10 profs at Mac... I think everyone should take a course with Samatar. Also, he teaches students well, through his good sides and his bad sides

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• 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:

Professor Samatar possesses a great deal of knowledge. However, he goes on tangents pretty much every day, and glorifies conservatism, while making the liberal students feel guilty. People don't give the man a chance though; he really is a nice guy who loves teaching and knows how to teach at Macalester.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: INTL101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very set in his ways, not very willing to compromise or see divergent points of view.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

I'm not sure why so many people like this guy so much. I found him to be extremely pompus and impatient. The whole ripping everyone to shreads on the first paper was a bit much. There are better ways to teach people than being such a hard-a**.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: INTL110
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Samatar adheres to an old-school professorial philosophy. As such, I sometimes felt creatively stifled in his class: he doesn't let intro class students really develop their own theses, and as such papers were torturous for me. Also kept us late every day. That being said, he knows his stuff like no other. Certainly an experience.