2.6
Quality3.6
Difficulty33%
Would Retake102
Reviews33%
Would Retake
102
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
16
4
22
3
12
2
17
1
35
What Students Say
“you must read on your own”
ANTH160 - 3.0 rating“There is ALOT of reading in this class”
160 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.74 avg changeRatings by Course
HST510
5.0
(1)ANTH562
4.5
(2)ANTH108308
4.3
(3)ANTHR108
4.0
(1)LAA302
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ANTH104
5.0
ANTH462
4.3
162
4.0
LAA302
4.0
ANTH108
3.8
Reviews (102)
No Comments
class material interesting, lectures dry
Lectures hard to follow, tests are very confusing. TA's are very unhelpful.
No Comments
No Comments
No Comments
He is way too boring and unclear. Making his tests impossible, i suggest NEVER taking this class!!
Boring do NOT take this class. He is dry and unclear. He puts up usless material on the overhead and thinks that he is making class better. If this class is not needed for your major skip it
Dr. Metz has the experience, research background, and enthusiasm for his topic that only a few profs have by comparison. TAKE THIS CLASS. Don't listen to the other comments bashing him. He is not boring especially if you give a damn about the topic.
This class was so stinkin' easy. I got a 100% on the second test. The reason so many people probably fail is because if you look around the class on a normal day, it is damn near empty, but it is packed on test day. If people took the class seriously and did the assigned reading, they would pass as easily as me.
No Comments
tough textbook...
dont need to go to class... just read the book or youll fail.....
This is the worst class EVER. Even if you go, you will fail. Finally he curved the class but he doesn't think that needs to happen. Don't take this class if you do not need to. Find a different one. He is a bad teacher. very smart but can't communicate the information to anyone EVER
I read the book, went to every lecture and discussion, went to office hours, studied really hard, and I am still not doing well in his class! He is the worst teacher I have ever had!
Horribly unclear, doesn't really care that his students aren't learning anything. He wants to be a discussion teacher...but guess what...discussions don't work with a class of 300, especailly not at 8:00 am. His GTA's were AWFUL as well. Specifically Quincy. TERRIBLE CLASS. STAY AWAY!!
VERYYYYY time consuming... only reason i got an A was because i read the book and took extensive notes... dont really need to go to class.. it just confuses you even more...
The class is not as bad as everyone says but still it is way too complicated. My discussion section never had anything to do with the class lectures. The question and answer notes were helpful but I don't feel like I learned anything. Annual Editions readings were good. The other book was awful, nobody should ever be made to read it. Expect a hard
good class, fun material, nice TAs. book sucks. lectures can be boring.
Yes, he's tough and his class requires a lot of hard work to do well -- but he's smart and knows his stuff, and he's pretty cute.
Okay..if you go to class and take notes.. u can at least get a B.. so just go to class and take notes!! This class really isn't hard at all. B Metz cares about his students and if you ask the TA's questions they will answer them correctly!!
No Comments
Mostly all you need is to go to his lectures & take the notes, which are what his tests are based off of. I read the 1st two chapters of the book so if you can, TRY to share w/ someone or you'll spend a lot of money for nothing. Unless you like reading dry material. Go to your discussion--attendance and participation counts a test grade.
Very easy class. Most of the material is interesting. I haven't finished the class yet, but I got 100%+ on the first two tests (there are only 3). The book, however, is fairly useless. Also, it's true that most people don't show up to class - if they did, they'd pass fairly easily.
He's not actually interesting in cultivating learning or if you can synthesize the info he gives you. He just wants things to be parroted back to him. The idea that a student would have the intellect to not take everything he says or has you read as gospel & disagree with him is beyond his comprehension. My 2nd class w/him. He can ruin any course.
He gives a lot of reading, and you can either choose to do it or not. His tests are based soley on the lectures, but sometimes he goes too fast, or he is just hard to pay attention to. His tests are worded really weird, personally I am not doing well in this class. There is a chance for extra credit that will raise you 1/2 letter grade.
You must do the readings to get a good grade and be good at writing papers. There are a lot of readings for this course, but I found it very interesting. Also, you give one long and one or two short presentations. Personally, I liked the structure of the class.
I know some of his lectures were...boring, but I still enjoyed him. He is a really nice professor who is willing to go beyond to help his students. Metz made sure everyone understood everything. Seems paranoid that people will steal his tests though...and I hated the last chapter we learned--it was all about his opinion on capitalism (which he hate
gets the prize for most boring instructor at KU
I thought the class was very well taught. You had to read the material to stay on top of participation points, and the facts that it was a once a week class at such a high level meant a LOT of reading piling up the day before class for me. Essay tests with tough grading forced the students to KNOW the material. Great class!
Overall an informative class. I never read before lecture and still managed to do fairly well, because his lectures are very informative. Bring your laptop because your hand will cramp trying to keep up with the notes. Tests are straightforward, but you need to know the information to do well. Go to class and you'll be fine.
He is very monotoned and boring. He obviously knows his stuff. Discussions are mandatory. Readings are long- I just scan them. Tests are difficult-study A LOT
The only thing that really justifies his laggard lectures are the sizes of his class. Nonetheless, mistaking his one class for your whole wide world while you are full time with a job is fatal when he gives you 300 pages to read in 4 weeks and says nothing encouraging when you've fallen behind. He's not a bad guy, but there are better instructors.
Pathetic class--waste of my $. Pitched for very simple minds. Do not take course with this teacher--he is not up to do University teaching properly. Lectures were toxically boring. Exams simple.
This guy thinks this class is the only class you take. He requires you buy 3 textbooks for and you will read all 3 from cover to cover. On top of that, he wants you to write a 10 paper research paper. STAY AWAY
Metz's lectures are dull and long, I never got much out of them besides hand cramps and useless notes. You will not pass easily without reading, and be prepared, tests are very difficult. In my opinion, avoid him as a prof for this class specifically, I've heard he's better with smaller, higher level courses.
This class is ridiculous. There is a ton of reading, and if you aren't into Anthropology whatsoever, it's going to be a long semester. The tests are not easy and you have to know the material to do well. You're only graded on 3 tests and discussion. He talks and talks and talks, and it's VERY boring. Worst class I took this semester by far.
Interesting class... he paces a lot and I guess a lot of people think he's boring and the class is hard, but I thought the tests were easy -- all you have to do to get an A is read the material and go to the discussion. Overall, I learned a lot and enjoyed his class.
Class is basically all readings. Expect to read three textbooks front to back, one of which Prof. Metz wrote. Test's are very wordy. Most of the material is interesting but you must know it VERY well to preform well in this class. Easily the most time consuming class ive taken at the University of Kansas. Dont recommend.
I enjoyed the class. I found all of the points interesting, and he presented it in an easily comprehensible way. Didn't really need to do the readings if you paid attention in lecture, though I'd say read them anyways. Had him for discussion. Fascinating stuff! Tests weren't hard as long as you listened. Great class if you work a little harder
I had Metz for Anth 160. The class, although interesting is very time consuimg. Lectures are prety dull and tests pretty hard. In order to get an A, you'll have to go above-and-beyond. I ended up with a B, and probably put more time and effort into this class than any of my others. Be prepared to do the readings and lots of studying.
A little dry but very clear, showed passion about the topic, particularly his research area. Overall pretty much what I expected.
I thought the class was really interesting you just have to do the readings. His TA's were very helpful and helped me get a better understanding of the tests, which were very difficult. Make sure to read each question carefully because he tries to trick you..
Dr. Metz is a really good professor. His class is hard, but if you take it seriously and put in the work it's really interesting and fun. He's really helpful, just as long as you make the effort to ask for his help.
I was super excited to take this class before I actually started attending it. Professor Metz knows a lot, but is probably one of the most monotone speakers. The course loses steam by the end of the semester. Readings are VERY long, but the course isn't impossible in any sense. If anything, make sure to go to discussion - it was my biggest asset.
He is the most monotoned speaker you will ever have as a professor. The course is comprised of only very lengthy readings (between 1-3 hours worth). He does not grade discussions fairly. There are 2 tests and one final 10 page paper that comprise your entire grade. Don't take this unless you enjoy reading.
Took the honors portion of this course. Dr. Metz often digressed in lectures, seemed unorganized, and expected students to intuit what he wanted included on the class final paper. Didn't go well for most. Liked him personally but not as a professor. We had a sub GTA one week, and she was a far better. Really disappointed.
The course material is made clear. If you go to lecture and pay attention the course is easy.
Though this is an introduction Anthropology class, it is more difficult than the other one offered at KU, 108. The tests can be tricky and there's only 3, and these determine your grade. That being said this class is truly eye openinglife changing. You are introduced to cultures you wouldn't get expose to in any other setting. Remember to keep up.
you must read on your own. lectres and power points were not clear for me. there is a lot of reading. only a few test so not room for many errors or to gain points. discussion group participation helps to boost grade. go to SI sessions if possible-students that have passed the course with flying colors study group
Tests are ridiculously hard. Not worth taking it if you don't have to. A huge waste of time to go to class, he has the worst monotone and its hard to stay engaged.
There is ALOT of reading in this class. You have to do the required reading or you wont pass. And the tests are really difficult, even though I did the reading and studied the powerpoint, I still found the test to be tough. Personally I never went to lecture because he just read of power-points. I still managed to get an A though because of reading
ANTH 160 was one of the best classes that I've taken. No, it's not a blowoff class, but it is not difficult as long as you actually pay attention and do the reading. I learned something interesting every lecture, and my discussion section turned out to be a lot of fun. I would highly recommend this course to anyone.
Dr. Metz is one of the best professors I've had at KU. He has spent years doing practical research in the field, so he knows what he is talking about. The lectures are extremely interesting and applicable. Those that claim the tests are incredibly hard didn't do the readings assigned for class. A great class that is worth taking.
Mr. Metz is a decent teacher, but his lectures are very dry and incredibly boring. ANTH 160 is just a terrible class though, I don't know if it's him or the way the curriculum is set up, but the class leaves you wondering what on earth you took it for. His discussion sections are an easy A but the tests are somewhat difficult.
Lecture is long and boring. He is clear but the tests are spread out so lots of information on them. Does not give any study guide.
Great professor. Knows what he is talking about. Does not give out study-guides for any test
If you do not read and do not go to class you will not pass. Do not get behind in the readings either. Most of the test questions are made up of a combination of lecture material and obscure passages in the book to make sure that you are reading.
Prof. Metz was a fine professor except the fact that his lectures were very long and kind of boring with his monotone voice. I skipped many classes and suffered because of it so if you want a passing grade I would recommend going to every single class and keeping up with the reading. The tests are pretty tough so I hope you can retain information.
If you are a person that studies largely off of note-taking, this is not the class for you. The powerpoints he provides are not well laid out. Nearly everyone in a 300+ class failed his first test so he had to continually make each test easier. He provides so many outside readings it was not even worth buying the textbook.
Boring, monoton-ish, but mandatory lectures if you don't do the readings. MAKE SURE to take notes on WHAT HE SAYS, NOT what is on the powerpoint because he will put those online, if you write down word-for-word what is on the slide you will end up confused when you try to study, so write down his SPOKEN explanations. No extra credit & no curve.
His lectures are in a huge lecture hall and many think you can just skip it and show up for the test. You won't pass unless you show up to lectures, read, and participate in your discussion sections. Class averages on tests were in the 50's and had to be curved a lot. Discussions save your grade and there are only 3 tests in the whole semester.
He really knows what he's talking about and collaborates with his TA's in order to make the tests. If you don't attend the lectures and only depend on reading and viewing the slides he puts on Blackboard, you're probably not going to get the grade you want in his class. Discussion is also important since you can influence some of the test questions
One of the hardest classes that I have ever taken. The tests are impossible, the lectures are basically the same thing every day all extremely similar. If you don't read the book you will not pass! Notes are also important you cannot skip class.
Dr. Metz is a great teacher, and the class is relatively easy, as long as you just do the reading. He grades the exams fairly. The exams are multiple choice, but 360 students have 4 short-answer questions on the exam and a 7-10 page term paper in addition to the regular work for the 160 students. Easy class.
Honestly this class was one of the easiest ones that I've taken. Just do the readings/watch the videos, show up and take some notes, and go to discussion sections. The readings can be pretty long and dry, but tolerable. Tests are all multiple choice, very common sense questions. If a lot of students miss a particular question, they may make it EC.
Lectures were so boring, I fell asleep multiple times. I'll get either an A- or a B+ without reading the textbook or attending every lecture. Easy if you pay minimal attention. Discussions are a joke.
Professor Metz is a good professor, but this course was so hard to get a good grade in because literally the only points were the three exams and discussion points. If you're not a good tester, don't take this course because you literally won't pass. The only homework is reading and you literally have to write down every word in lecture.
great professor. 10/10. a truly great man that cuts straight to the point and tells you what you need to know. Many people struggled in this class because it is all test grades but if you go to class and take notes and do the readings, you will do well.
very hard too hard probs gonna fail dont take
Honestly, he is pretty cool. He is helpful and gets back to you if you email him with questions. I would suggest taking from him. His research is pretty interesting as well, and he finds ways to integrate that into lecture as well.
Not a very difficult class at all if you showed up to classes and did most of the readings. He makes the lectures super dry even though its fun material. Slightly sexist too so I did not appreciate that.
I don't know me and my friends just did not understand what he was trying to teach
The class is a pretty well designed pattern of readings, discussions, and then papers. The readings are enough for depth, but not so much that it's boring. The discussions were very long but also engaging and allowed for audience participation. This is a service learning class, and that part tied in well. Dr. Metz is also a very entertaining guy.
Metz is an awesome professor. Some might think his lectures are boring, but if you really listen you will learn so much. He is incredibly wise and knows what he's talking about. I am inspired by this course and will minor in anthropology. take this course!
The ANTH 160 class was fine, Metz definitely makes the lectures dry, and it's hard to pay attention at times. Honestly, the overall experience was pretty boring and I was definitely disappointed because this was a class I was excited for. If you don't do the readings and watch the movies you will not pass the tests!
The lectures aren't mandatory and he is very knowledgeable. However, the tests are insanely difficult, there is a lot of textbook readings, and discussion sections are mandatory, if you skip you won't pass. Attendance + participation grades. One of the hardest classes I've ever taken.
Lots of lectures, and tests based off the reading and lectures. its super hard
This class is very hard. The tests have multiple answers that seem correct. The lectures are very boring and he isn't very good at teaching, he just talks. It is very hard to study because the class content is very vague. I would never take this class again and it is a hard class for not being a majorly important one for most people.
While I was originally really looking forward to taking this class, I have found this was the worst class I've ever taken. The lectures are extremely boring, making it very hard to continuously pay attention. Worst of all, the tests are unbelievably challenging. In my 6 semesters of college, I have received straight A's. I currently have a C-. 0/10
The content itself is not too challenging, but Professor Metz's test was one of the hardest tests I have ever taken. It didn't reflect what we learned and the questions were reallyyyy difficult. This class is not worth your time- it's very difficult to receive a good grade. He has no assignments though if you don't mind taking a bad grade.
Dry lectures, gives very little information on important assignments, and overall I just leave class way more confused than when I started. This is the last class I had to take for my Anthropology major and I genuinely wish I had switched to a minor instead of taking this class.
He didn't really tell us how to study for the midterm and every single person I asked failed it so lol idk.
This guy created possibly the hardest exam I have ever taken. He should know that none of these people are going into Anthropology and we just need the credit for this type of class. Why make it so extremely difficult? Almost everyone failed his exam, boring lectures, hard to understand what will be on the exam. Do not recommend at all.
It's like he tries to make a fun and easy topic hard to understand. I took this class because I need a field methods course for my anth major, but this course did not make me ready for the field at all. if anything it made me NOT want to do anthropology fieldwork anymore.
Professor Metz was the driest person I have ever met. Class is just him rambling on about nothing for 50 minutes. Then expects us to take an exam over the most obscure topics that everyone failed. Each exam is 30% of your grade, too. Run, don't walk out of this class and drop it. Worst class I've ever taken and I'm a chemical engineering major.
The lecture is extremely boring and the amount of reading required is easily 2-4 hours weekly. I regret taking Brent's class because of how dull he manages to make everything. Also, he's a rambler so if you want to succeed focus on the readings and not the lectures.
the worst professor & class I've ever taken. Metz is very arrogant & clearly just loves to hear himself talk, also a little sexist. His exams are EXTREMELY difficult & he does not prepare us for them but those are the only thing we get graded on beside 1 'write a letter' assignment graded by STUDENTS. if your a bad test taker don't take this class.
This class was way too hard for a intro course. I had to take it for my major, would never take Metz again
Lectures are boring, speaks slow, goes on tangents and most lectures he just talks. There's no signs of life during lectures, no one seems to want to be here. Labs are mandatory but are also more helpful.
He's terrible. Unless you're an Anth major or minor this class will be difficult to get through. Whatever you do DO NOT take this class! There are plenty of other classes to fill your core. It's hard to pay attention to his boring and questionable lectures so don't bother showing up. Exams are also hard and are worded terribly.
People who complained about the class either didn't go to lecture or just didn't pay attention. If you go to lecture, listen, and take notes, you will do well. It was one of my favorite classes; the material is relevant and interesting.
I have no idea why his rating is so bad. A lot of people say the exams were hard but in my opinion, you would have to have brain damage to do bad on them. I went to the lectures, didn't spend a single second studying all semester, and got an A on all the exams. Most were simple, common sense multiple-choice answers with three clearly wrong answers
He may not realize it, but he words things very badly. In anthropology, we talk about sensitive topics and he doesn't understand that. It's very hard to get a good grade because your grade is determined by your test grade. There are no assignments ONLY exams. Discussion classes help, but it's still very hard. I've never done this bad in a class.
There are almost no chances for points in this class besides 3 exams. Those exams are also way off topic than the lectures. Metz does not care about his students, he seems to enjoy having kids do bad on his tests.
Class is pretty easy if you just listen and stay open minded which is exactly what you need to be a good anthropologist
Really hard to follow this class & the teaching style was super confusing. Couldn't find an effective way to study the lectures or readings
Professor talks very slowly and rambles. In the fall semester the lectures were poorly organized, often filled with random information and questionable, unsubstantiated opinions. No one seemed interested in Met'zs boring lectures. Labs were required but overall beneficial (depending on your TA). Disappointing class :(
Lectures were easy to follow and tests were easy to study for. Everything else was suspect. Some of Metz's comments were questionable at best, the purpose of some of our lectures was lost on me, and I wasn't ever really fulfilled by the assignments we had. "Mandatory" materials might as well have been optional; we just went over them in lecture
Even if you just sit there and stare into space, SHOW UP TO CLASS. He can and will put things on the test that are talked about in class but are not in the readings. Cool guy, mostly down to earth and reasonable. Not a class for non-anth majors/minors, if you are not interested in the material then he might put you to sleep.
The topics Metz covered in his lectures were super interesting. I will say that he often makes comments that are inappropriate and offensive towards marginalized groups, which is very discouraging to see from an anthropology professor. The TA who led this discussion group totally saved this class for me to be honest.
The lectures can be hit or miss, but if you stay engaged and use resources like the textbook and unstuck AI, you can succeed. The assignments are tough, but the discussion sections really help tie everything together. Worth taking if you're interested in the subject matter.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.74 avg changeRatings by Course
HST510
5.0
(1)ANTH562
4.5
(2)ANTH108308
4.3
(3)ANTHR108
4.0
(1)LAA302
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ANTH104
5.0
ANTH462
4.3
162
4.0
LAA302
4.0
ANTH108
3.8