4.4

Brian Billman

Anthropology - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

4.4
Quality
2.5
Difficulty
90%
Would Retake
119
Reviews
4.4
Quality
2.5
Difficulty
4.3
Helpful
4.4
Clarity

90%

Would Retake

119

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

76

4

28

3

10

2

3

1

2

What Students Say

Professor Billman makes a rather boring subject, interesting

ANTH145 - 4.0 rating

Going to class is a must

ANTH145 - 2.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

63%

Textbook Required

31%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 73 grades
Most common grades:
A (45)
A- (14)
Not sure yet (10)
Grade Distribution
A(48)B(4)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(20)
Based on 84 reported grades
A: 45
A-: 14
Not sure yet: 10
B+: 6
Common Tags
Hilarious (40)
Lecture heavy (29)
Amazing lectures (28)
Graded by few things (18)
Caring (15)
Skip class? You won't pass. (13)
LECTURE HEAVY (9)
Test heavy (9)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.55 avg change
Feb
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May
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Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

ANTR145

5.0

(2)

ANTH220

4.7

(13)

ANTH131

4.5

(2)

ANTH45

4.5

(6)

ANTH145

4.4

(82)
+2 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ANTH145

2.6

WORLDPREHIST

2.5

ANTR145

2.5

ANTH231

2.1

ANTH220

2.0

Reviews (119)
5.0
2.0
ANTH131
Apr 19, 2004

He's a great teacher with a good sense of humor, and I can even stay awake in all his classes-it's great!

4.0
1.0
ANTH131
May 12, 2004

This is an easy A, even our basketball players could pass this course, lol.

4.0
3.0
ANTH45
Aug 3, 2005

One of the best teachers i've had at Carolina. He's fun, entertaining, and very helpful. I would advise taking one of his classes. He's a great guy

4.0
1.0
ANTH45
Grade: B
Sep 1, 2005

No Comments

5.0
1.0
WORLDPREHIST
Grade: B+
Sep 21, 2005

Funny guy, interesting and on topic lectures, very personable and likeable, highly reccomend the class.

5.0
1.0
ANTH45
Nov 7, 2005

Awesome, hilarious guy, easy class

5.0
1.0
ANTH45
Nov 9, 2005

Good class, interesting, prof has a good sense of humor. Definately not that hard, as long as you go to class and do the reading

5.0
2.0
ANTH45
Dec 12, 2005

Prof. Billman makes the material for class interesting, and fun. He has a great sense of humor. The class is not that difficult, but it certianly helps if you show up for lecture and at least look over the readings.

4.0
3.0
ANTH45
Jan 12, 2006

Billman is the ONLY reason that Anth 45 is bearable...otherwise it's unbelievably dull, boring material. His humor makes lectures worth attending. A note on the class though--the tests are all memorization based, asking extremely minute and otherwise unimportant details about the most obscure of topics.

5.0
1.0
ANTH145
Nov 11, 2006

Not too hard of a class, DON'T read the textbook (it made me drowsy) but DO go to ALL classes. His tests are straight from the objectives (he gives them to you) and ONLY the sites and dates he has mentioned in lecture. Two exams, two 5 page essays and a final exam. Pretty funny guy.

5.0
3.0
ANTR145
Dec 14, 2006

funny guy, brings his dog to class. kind of boring, but it is antropology. not a lot of work, two 5 page papers. gives objectives that will be on the test. picks out random things so its hard to make a great grade.

5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Jan 12, 2007

Billman is awesome. Class isnt too hard, the final isnt cumulative, and the TAs were solid as well. Class was boring sometimes, but he obviously really cared about what he was teaching. Great class, I highly recommend. Learned a lot about our roots as humans and the primitive people we evolved from.

4.0
1.0
ANTH145
Apr 21, 2007

Brian Billman is amazing. I would reccomend Anth 145 to anybody just because of him. Sometimes it is kind of boring, but its a requirement, and its easy. take it with him.

5.0
4.0
ANTH145
Apr 26, 2007

He brings his dog to class. He's a great guy but I found the class to be dull. Also the tests were really obscure.

3.0
3.0
ANTH145
Dec 11, 2008

Funny, engaging. Very Bill Murray-esque. Material is incredibly dull, concepts interesting but exams cover inconsequential details. The course, while ostensibly about world prehistory, finishes its chronology with the Spanish conquest of the Incas. Pretty misleading course description. It is often hard to stay awake through class.

3.0
2.0
ANTH145
Jan 7, 2009

He likes to talk. He'll tell you more than you need to know - pages of notes that won't be on the test, but you're not going to know that until you see the test so write everything down anyways (sites are important). He doesn't push his TAs very hard so expect your grades late, say two to three weeks or so. Otherwise a good class and prof.

4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Jan 20, 2009

LOVED THIS CLASS. anyone who is interested or needs this credit take anth145. billman is the man. dont take lots of notes, but remember key dates/points. lectures keep you entertained. reading the book isnt super helpful, i only skimmed it.

5.0
4.0
ANTH145
Aug 1, 2009

Anth 145 is the best class I've taken so far at UNC (only had one year though). Tests were harder than I expected, but the papers weren't as bad in my opinion. Has a great sense of humor.

3.0
4.0
ANTH145
Dec 23, 2009

The tests are fair if you have studied the objectives. The ONLY time I used the textbook was to extract some facts for the 2 essays. It takes forever to get exams and essays back, and the TAs really don't work very hard. Billman is extremely entertaining and knowledgable. He is passionate about his subject, but does tend to focus on the details.

4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Jan 3, 2010

Very interesting class! Lectures go into great detail, but are engaging. Tests contain somewhat random material from the lectures, but overall a pretty easy class.

4.0
3.0
ANTH145
Mar 30, 2010

Billman is an excellent professor and really knows what he is talking about. His examinations are what cause people to do poorly because his multiple choice questions are unclear and rather arbitrary. The book is useless and I never used it, except fro random quotations in the 2 essays. If you like dogs, take his class, because he brings her!

5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Apr 19, 2010

My favorite teacher at UNC so far. Always made class really interesting and had a great sense of humor. Tests weren't that bad as long as you know the course objectives really well.

4.0
4.0
ANTH145
Apr 20, 2010

Interesting class, but not easy...do not take this class just to fill a Gen. Ed. requirement.

5.0
1.0
ANTH145
May 12, 2010

awesome guy and easy class. his dog comes to every class. tests are pretty easy but mc questions can be random. don't bother getting the textbook. you only ever use it for the essays. just borrow it.

4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Aug 10, 2010

Very funny and engaging. I didn't fall asleep in his class once. He brings his dog, July, to class, and she goes everywhere with him. This class helped me decide to major in anthropology.

4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Dec 7, 2011

Good lecturer, interesting class. He's funny and tries to make even the dry material interesting. The readings are a bit arbitrary, but the textbook is helpful when writing papers. Tests are fairly easy if you know the objectives. Definitely take this class.

4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Dec 19, 2011

He's a great professor! He's really laid-back and managed to intertwine stories of his college/youth years into the lectures to keep us engaged and entertained. He makes lots of jokes and was a great way to end my day. I loved that his dog always came to class, too. Only complaints are MC questions and the outside reading book. Textbook "optional".

5.0
2.0
ANTH220
Dec 21, 2011

The best professor I've had at this college. He loves what he does, which makes the class fun and interesting. He's funny and shares stories, which help you remember the material and understand practical application. His black lab is adorable, too.

5.0
1.0
ANTH145
Aug 25, 2013

Great professor, manages to make even dull subject matter interesting. Funny and laid back teaching style with entertaining personal stories mixed in.

4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Nov 13, 2014

Makes a potentially dryboring topic very interesting. As long as you go to class, take decent notes and do most readings you will be fine. Very approachable if you have questions, you might be annoyed by his humor but I thought it was endearing. Made me want to take more ANTH classes in the future.

4.0
4.0
ANTH145
Dec 11, 2014

Professor Billman is a great guy, but based on others rate my professors I went into this class hoping that it would be an easy A. That is not the case. The tests are all short answer and an essay, NO MULTIPLE CHOICE. And there is so much information that studying seems impossible. Billman is hilarious and makes the lectures interesting though.

4.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: B+
May 1, 2015

The class was extremely dry and boring for me. Many things covered in lecture were never tested on. I relied on Google docs and going over the objectives to study for tests. The tests were moderately difficult, all free response, and sometimes required you to give years for when things happened (which I never managed to memorize).

5.0
3.0
ANTH220
Grade: A-
May 6, 2015

Billman has got to be related to Bill Murray. They sound so much alike and have the same wacky, dry sense of humor. Lectures were entertaining, and the tests weren't too difficult if you study the test prep guide. I suggest utilizing a google doc with your classmates. Love it when he brings his dog, July, to class. She's the sweetest.

3.0
3.0
ANTH220
Nov 5, 2015

Took this class expecting an easy and chill experience. Not the case at all. The lectures are long and boring and most of the time don't pertain to the course material at all. His sense of humor is bad and gets in the way of proper communication of the material. Takes forever to receive any graded work back. DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS.

4.0
3.0
ANTH220
Grade: A
Dec 19, 2015

Dr. Billman is super nice and a great professor. He gives really clear study guides for exams so they're easy A's. You have to come to class as attendance is part of your grade, but he's a great lecturer and a very good natured guy. If you need help, he'll give it to you. Do your assignments and you shouldn't have any problems.

4.0
4.0
ANTH145
Nov 3, 2016
Would take again

Professor Billman makes a rather boring subject, interesting.... going into the class I was expecting it to be a rather dry, difficult topic, but his lecture style keeps you engaged. The lectures are VERY important however, as they comprise most of the exams... definitely recommend!

Skip class? You won't pass.
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
LECTURE HEAVY
2.0
3.0
ANTH145
Dec 2, 2016
Wouldn't take again

I like his personality, but he tends to go off on a rant during lecture. I also find it hard to pinpoint exactly what I should be focusing on while I study. Going to class is a must. He uploads his ppts, but they don't go into much detail and are mostly pictures.

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
LECTURE HEAVY
2.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: B-
Jan 3, 2017
Wouldn't take again

The lectures were very dry and included him talking for 75 min with pictures on the slides. Paying attention the whole time was almost impossible. The exams were very difficult, multiple choice with an essay question. The two recitation essays were not bad, they are what probably saved my grade. I would not recommend taking this class for a gen ed.

Get ready to read
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Nov 13, 2017
Would take again

Professor Billman is great! His lectures are really interesting and his tests aren't crazy hard. He takes attendance even though it is a large lecture class. There is some reading which should be done because it shows up on the test. He cracks tells funny stories which makes it feel like less of a lecture. Tests, rec sec, and papers are your grade.

Respected
Hilarious
Amazing lectures
2.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 13, 2017
Wouldn't take again

If you aren't super into Anthropology, don't take this class. Lectures are very boring and the exams are not easy, mostly because you only have your lecture notes to study from- so make sure to take good notes and pay attention during the lectures if you want to pass.

Get ready to read
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
LECTURE HEAVY
4.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Mar 22, 2018
Would take again

Great sense of humor keeps lectures interesting, although if you're not interested in archaeology or anthropology, the course might not be interesting to you. Exams are tougher than you'd expect- short answer and answers, so class attendance is a must. Great guy!

Gives good feedback
Hilarious
LECTURE HEAVY
4.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Apr 8, 2018
Would take again

Funny, super nice, and his story is inspiring and interesting (dropped out of college twice, traveled, and boom professor). You MUST go to class because you only have your notes to study from (no study guides or textbooks). Multiple choice is hard and won't get 100 on your short answers even if you know everything because the T.A.s grade them.

Tough Grader
Skip class? You won't pass.
Hilarious
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Sep 14, 2018
Would take again

I took his class last fall and I really did enjoy it. It was my first semester of college and I was surprised at how much I liked the class. He set up each lecture as a story of sorts, which I really liked. The exams are not very hard, if you go to class and take very good notes, that you memorize and understand you can do well!

Skip class? You won't pass.
Amazing lectures
LECTURE HEAVY
4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Nov 1, 2018
Would take again

Professor Billman is a really funny guy and a cool teacher. You'll learn a lot about him in his class but that's not bad thing. His lectures are easy to understand but he does rely heavily on powerpoint with only pictures and a little text, so make sure you're taking notes. Just show up to the class and pay attention and you'll be good!

Skip class? You won't pass.
Hilarious
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
1.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Dec 4, 2018
Would take again

I'm no genius but this class is very simple. MUST GO TO CLASS! The lectures teach the tests! No textbook to learn the material from. He takes into consideration the student and his GOAL is to distribute mostly A's & B's! If you show up to class, pay moderate attention, and study the night before the exam you're going to be successful!!

Respected
Skip class? You won't pass.
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Dec 14, 2018
Would take again

Dr. Billman is an amazing guy, he is very funny and his lectures are interesting. He has the tendency to go off on rants which can confuse things in lectures but they are usually easy to follow. He posts power points but they are not detailed enough to be able to skip lectures and pass. Tests are pretty straight forward.

Skip class? You won't pass.
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
2.0
ANTH220
Grade: A
May 19, 2019
Would take again

Favorite Professor at UNC! Super interesting lectures, and he is very funny. He doesn't assign too much work, and the tests are quite straightforward. Overall an easy class, with some hard to grasp subjects.

Graded by few things
Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: B
Jan 13, 2020
Would take again

Billman is awesome and super funny and lectures were really interesting even though i hate history. I would definitely take him again, but you definitely need to study and show up to class to do well. and take good notes.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Hilarious
Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Jan 28, 2020
Would take again

Billman makes lectures interesting & humorous , but most of the time it's tempting to just doze off since it's a lecture-based class. Definitely take notes bc his slides don't have much information off them; if you do, the exams are generally straightforward. The papers were also fair & do-able within a week or couple of days if you procrastinate.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
Caring
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Apr 13, 2020
Would take again

Professor Billman rocked. He incorporated jokes into his lectures, which would sometimes stray from topics. Two big papers are the only homework. Exams were pretty easy to do well on. If you need a gen ed or are a first year, ANTH145 with Dr Billman is a great choice.

Respected
Hilarious
Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
ANTH231
Grade: B+
Apr 15, 2020
Would take again

Billman is the bomb. He's basically a real life Indiana Jones. Didn't think the anthropology of Andean South America could be made so interesting.

Respected
Hilarious
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH231
Grade: A
May 12, 2020
Would take again

Brian Billman is the goat. He is super passionate about the class and tells great stories. The exams are based entirely on his powerpoints and although he assigns reading, they are not required if you listen to his lectures. The powerpoints are mostly just pictures so you have to pay attention. Even with corona, he made his lectures interesting.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Graded by few things
Lecture heavy
4.0
2.0
ANTH231
Grade: A-
Jun 3, 2020
Would take again

I have never been particularly interested in archaeology until I took this class with Billman. He has a lot of experience in the field so he can tell the class some funny stories. The exam is kind of difficult and I studied a lot for it, but the essays are graded very leniently. Attendance is taken every day in class.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Test heavy
Hilarious
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Aug 17, 2020
Would take again

Brian is a great professor. I took his ANTH145 course freshman year, and then later took some higher level courses and worked under him too. He's a bit disorganized and a bit odd, but he's approachable, intelligent, and cares about his job. He does ask that you are at least familiar with the readings, but is otherwise not too tough.

Hilarious
Amazing lectures
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Oct 29, 2020
Would take again

I love this man. He is the best professor I have had. He's funny and quirky, so if you like very serious lecturers steer clear. I have recommended ANTH145 to friends and they have loved it too. Billman makes what could have been a boring subject into something wonderful.

Test heavy
Clear grading criteria
Hilarious
5.0
1.0
ANTH145
Grade: B+
Nov 18, 2020
Would take again

Dr. Billman truly understands his students and is a very caring professor. He cracks so many jokes during class, so you will no doubt look forward to his lectures.

Respected
Accessible outside class
Skip class? You won't pass.
4.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 19, 2020
Would take again

Professor Billman was a good professor, this class is good if you need to knock out a few gen eds and is best to be taken online. He changed the formatting of his tests and assignments to accommodate for remote learning which made the class much easier. The class tends to be very boring sometimes and he goes off topic a lot so pay attention.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Hilarious
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Nov 30, 2020
Would take again

Professor Billman's lectures can be a little hard to follow sometimes because his PowerPoints are mostly pictures, you really have to listen to what he says, and his train of thought can be slightly confusing. He's a really great dude, though, really cares about the subject material, is very accommodating and lenient, and is absolutely hilarious.

Hilarious
Amazing lectures
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Dec 7, 2020
Would take again

Prof Billman is extremely knowledgable and hilarious. Your grade consists of participation questions every lecture that are most of time just your opinion, 3 recitation assignments, and 3 open note exams. The grading rubric can sometimes be a little unclear, but he is extremely accommodating. HIGHLY recommend this class.

Hilarious
Amazing lectures
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Dec 8, 2020
Would take again

Professor Billman is such a nice guy!! Didn't have to be on Zoom as long as you watched the lecture and responded to a (pretty easy) question on Sakai within 24 hours or so. I ended up watching them on 2x speed instead the next day, but his sense of humor is so nice & he has really great stories about his adventures!!

Hilarious
Lecture heavy
Caring
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Dec 18, 2020
Would take again

Professor Billman is great! I took this class with him during COVID and I honestly really enjoyed it. I'm not an anthropology major, nor do I think I will become one, but Professor Billman really makes his lectures interesting even on Zoom. His exams are take home, and the textbook reading is very reasonable. Highly recommend!!!

Hilarious
Lecture heavy
Caring
5.0
1.0
ANTH220
Grade: A
Apr 12, 2022
Would take again

Dr. Billman is awesome! Class attendance isn't *mandatory* per se, but you'll be missing out if you don't come. Mainly teaches by example and posts materials/slides on Sakai. Textbook is needed for some homework, but he posts the free PDF on Sakai. Easy credit, as long as you do the major HW assignments.

EXTRA CREDIT
Amazing lectures
Hilarious
3.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 15, 2022

Billman is so funny and loves to joke during lectures. But when it came to the exams, he made them way too specific and challenging & did not adequately prepare us for them. Only grades are 3 exams and 2 essays. All reviews I read last year said it was easy online due to COVID, but I think going back in person he made the exams WAY too hard.

Hilarious
Graded by few things
1.0
4.0
WORLDPREHIST
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 18, 2022

Professor Billman's exams were extremely specific. He tended to get off topic during lectures. His essay prompts were not well thought out. He changed the schedule several times, moving due dates sooner and uncanceling classes. The recitations for this class hardly ever met. There were a lot of readings every week. Grades took forever to come back.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Apr 25, 2022
Would take again

Billman is a phenomenal lecturer, but it can be hard to tell what material will actually be on the exam. I attended all the courses and took lots of notes, but it was definitely challenging. Grades come from TA and are 2 five-page papers and 3 exams. Very entertaining guy, but the material can be overwhelming or boring.

Tough grader
Amazing lectures
Lecture heavy
5.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: B+
Apr 26, 2022
Would take again

Grade consists of 3 HARD tests and 2 HARD essays. No homework, so workload is low until tests/papers. He is a hilarious professor, honestly only stayed in the class after I bombed the first test because he's so funny! He really is a great professor, but super old so doesn't believe in extra credit or open note exams (which they should be)

Tough grader
So many papers
Lecture heavy
5.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: B+
Apr 27, 2022
Would take again

Ok heres the deal. This class is incredibly, Prof Billman is hilarious and a great professor, but it is HARD. Your grade is made up of 3 hard tests, that will kill u, and 2 fairly straight forward papers. However, the TA's try to help you out and hes willing to curve and give extra credit.

Amazing lectures
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
1.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 27, 2022

Incredibly slow grader. Doesn't stick to his own deadlines. Changes deadlines. 3 exams and 2 essay. Exams were incredibly difficult and way too specific. The "study guide" doesn't help. Lectures are boring and dry. Slides are mostly pictures. If you want WB credit, look for another class.

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 29, 2022

The professor is a great guy and funny. I thought the exams were difficult. Low workload except for studying for exams.

Test heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Apr 29, 2022
Would take again

Prof. Billman is the funniest professor I have ever had. He is a wonderful teacher and cares about his students. We had 2 essays and 3 tests. The tests were each worth 25% of our grade so it is really important to study for the test/ Professor Billman is very passionate about anthropology and makes the class interesting.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Test heavy
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
May 2, 2022
Would take again

Prof Billman is awesome! He's so funny and clearly cares a lot about what he teaches. The only major grades were 2 relatively simple essays and 3 exams which you will need to study for, but if you pay attention in lectures and review your notes you'll do okay. He also sends out a study guide for each exam & is willing to give a curve/extra credit.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Graded by few things
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 5, 2022
Would take again

Prof Billman is the best! He is so funny and so passionate about everything he teaches - it was super cool hearing about all the places he has travelled to. You need to attend lectures and do all the readings to do well on the essays and exams though, but the effort is definitely worth it.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 11, 2022
Would take again

I loved Professor Billman. He is very passionate about the material and overall wants you to understand. Lectures are hilarious, no homework other than studying, and just a few recitation meetings each semester. Tests are a bit difficult, but really easy if you pay attention. He also curves a lot! Would highly recommend.

Tough grader
Amazing lectures
Hilarious
5.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 12, 2022
Would take again

Billman is hilarious and a great lecturer, however you really need to pay attention to lectures because the tests are pretty difficult. He did curve the first two exams and then gave an extra credit question for the final, so that really helped. The essays aren't terribly difficult especially if you attend recitation. Everything is graded by TAs.

4.0
5.0
ANTH145
Grade: B
May 21, 2022
Would take again

Brian Billman is incredibly funny and cares about his content. However, the tests were extremely hard, and you had to memorize every single small detail in the class. He was forgiving with a curve, but still, this was the hardest gen-ed class I've taken. Great guy, hard class.

Hilarious
Test heavy
Graded by few things
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 7, 2022
Would take again

Great professor who engages and cares about what he teaches, can be lost sometimes but is overall a very worthwhile experience if you're willing to put in the effort (for a gen-ed it may be difficult!!)

Amazing lectures
Caring
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Dec 13, 2022
Would take again

Prof Billman is a good and really funny lecturer. Some topics are boring while others are really interesting. He teaches about different civilizations like a story, which makes it fun. The recitation work seems very disconnected from class but its not too bad. A lot of extra credit so show up to class! Overall, a really nice lecturer.

Get ready to read
EXTRA CREDIT
Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Dec 13, 2022
Would take again

Prof Billman makes almost every lecture very interesting, and while some lectures have required prep readings, they're pretty rare and spaced out in the semester. Recitation also meets infrequently and assigns manageable projects. Lectures can also move pretty quickly, but overall I loved this class!

EXTRA CREDIT
Group projects
Amazing lectures
5.0
2.0
ANTH220
Grade: A+
Dec 17, 2022
Would take again

Prof Billman is a great and funny lecturer! He has powerpoints for wmost lectures (which he posts after class). He also shares his personal field work experience, and it's clear he loves archaeology. Workload was light: textbook readings, four open note assignments and a few in class participation discussions. Midterm/final are also open note!

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Accessible outside class
4.0
2.0
ANTH220
Grade: A
Dec 20, 2022
Would take again

He's definitely entertaining in lectures, I'll give him that. He can be a bit scattered sometimes, but the lectures are engaging and intuitive. The grade is based on a couple small assignments, 4 exercises, a test, and a final. Both tests were take-home, so were not too stressful. Overall good class to take for ANTH or ARCH.

Hilarious
Graded by few things
5.0
4.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Dec 20, 2022
Would take again

Professor Billman is an extremely kind, caring and overall hilarious person. However, his lectures are extremely boring and I fell asleep on many occasions in class. Tests are also difficult so make sure you are paying attention to lectures when in class and take notes on every single detail. Overall, class is difficult for a gen-ed.

Caring
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Jan 10, 2023

Do not take this class if you want an easy gen ed credit-- the content is not hard, but Billman's exams are tough unless you take notes on nearly everything that he says during his lectures.

Graded by few things
3.0
2.0
ANTH231
Apr 30, 2023
Would take again

This class is more about the history of anthropology and less about the Indigenous people. The class content is often sensationalized which is weird. Because of this students make ignorant comments about cultural practices they don't understand. This class might make any Andean students annoyed but he's nice and knowledgeable about the region.

5.0
3.0
ANTH231
Grade: A
May 5, 2023
Would take again

He doesn't record lecture, and his slides are bare-bones for the stories he tells (which are very funny!). Attend class and take good notes--that's all you need to do to do well. He draws directly from lectures for the 4 main assignments, all of which are very straightforward. Love this class and prof--he cares a lot about his students/teaching :)

Amazing lectures
Caring
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
ANTH231
Grade: A
May 10, 2023
Would take again

I really enjoyed the class and Professor Billman. As someone who is half Peruvian and had some knowledge on the region, Billman spoke very highly of the Andean people and culture and was very respectful with its history and had great stories. There was only two papers, a midterm, a few participation questions, and the final that we were graded on.

Amazing lectures
Caring
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Nov 21, 2023
Would take again

Overall Professor Billman is a really good teacher and laid back guy. Don't skip lectures because he shares a lot of information that is not on the presentations. Tests are open ended questions and a short essay at the end, all based on learning objectives which are easy. The two essays are really lowkey so don't worry.

Amazing lectures
Caring
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH220
Grade: A+
Dec 5, 2023
Would take again

Really great professor deserving a 5/5. Don't skip lectures and take notes and you'll get an A. His lectures are really interesting and he's an all around great guy. If you're looking for networking, Billman is also great for that. Classes are PowerPoint heavy but he sprinkles in interesting stories that make going to class worth it.

Participation matters
Amazing lectures
Gives good feedback
5.0
1.0
ANTH220
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 5, 2023
Would take again

Billman is so sweet and funny. Really easy class if you pay attention. Not super interesting unless archaeology is your thing but Billman is very understanding and will work with you.

5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: Incomplete
Dec 7, 2023
Would take again

Prof. Billman is amazing. His lectures are extremely engaging and very funny. Just make sure you are willing to attend every class because the exams rely on very in-depth notes. Generally, I couldn't recommend his class more, I'll be taking his other course next semester because of how amazing his story telling is. 10/10

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
ANTR145
Grade: A
Dec 8, 2023
Would take again

I hate that there were so few grades; however, the class was incredible. He is such a great teacher and very inspirational. Definitely take a class with him if you have the opportunity!!

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Dec 13, 2023
Would take again

GOAT!!! I love him

Amazing lectures
Gives good feedback
Caring
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Dec 14, 2023
Would take again

Billman was really funny, yet sometimes I just felt really bored. Wasn't too hard at all though, and if you memorized the material like a couple hours before you'd be fine. Powerpoints kinda suck though, and you need to be in class to actually get the material.

Hilarious
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
5.0
1.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Jan 11, 2024
Would take again

Billman is really funny and he is a very entertaining lecturer! The content was great and as a STEM major, going to his non-flipped classroom was refreshing and enjoyable. Tests were really easy and non-cumulative and TAs graded papers very fairly. Billman talks about personal experience which keeps class interesting, as he cares about the subject.

Clear grading criteria
Inspirational
Hilarious
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Jan 12, 2024
Would take again

Lord Billman is awesome. His lectures are informative and hilarious, and everything on the tests IS covered in the lectures. Take good class notes, and remember your notes, and you'll get good test grades. His class is clear cut, makes sense, with no funny business like things on tests that he didn't lecture about. Can't go wrong with Billman.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Apr 17, 2024
Would take again

I LOVE BRIAN BILLMAN!!! I took this class as a gen ed my freshman year and I'm so glad I did. Billman was so funny and amazing. I could've done much worse on my exams, but the grading is incredibly lax, and he provides huge curves. The exams come straight from the learning objectives, which are the same as the lecture slides.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
5.0
2.0
ANTH220
Grade: A
Apr 20, 2024
Would take again

You can't go wrong with Billman! He brought us donuts *multiple* times, what more can you ask for as a final semester senior?? Just pay attention in class and engage with his stories and you'll be good to go. Few assignments, but graded leniently. Really cool and funny guy too.

Hilarious
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
ANTH231
Grade: A
May 14, 2024
Would take again

I love Dr. Billman! He tells amazing and hilarious stories, and is just all around a great and cool guy. His exams are often take home and open note, and other assignments are interesting and engaging. Definitely take this class if you want to learn about the history of the Andes, or if you just want an interesting class with a great professor!

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Caring
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 16, 2024
Would take again

This class was so interesting and Professor Billman was funny and kind. I would say it is important to take notes during class and do the few readings he assigns to do well on the exams (*not referring to the readings associated with the recitation). Recitation met infrequently and I felt that papers were graded leniently.

5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Aug 7, 2024
Would take again

Billman is my favorite professor hands down. This class is easy enough as a gen ed. Recitation meets only a couple of times, I read one chapter of the FREE pdf textbook and didn't feel like I missed anything. Essays and tests are easy and taken directly from lectures. He tells engaging stories and lectures are never boring.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Caring
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Nov 14, 2024
Would take again

Super funny

3.0
3.0
ANTH231
Grade: A-
Dec 10, 2024
Would take again

Billman is a nice, funny guy, and a solid professor. He was fairly accommodating. I am not an Anth or hist major, but his class wan't crazy. Might have just been the TAs, but midterms were graded a bit harsh. Two papers with a take home midterm and final. I put low effort into learning material and still finished with an A-.

Tough grader
5.0
2.0
ANTH220
Grade: A
Dec 12, 2024
Would take again

Take this instead of Anth145 Prehistory

4.0
2.0
ANTH231
Grade: A-
Dec 14, 2024
Would take again

Very TA based, 4 assignments plus a bunch of just show up to class and get easy points. Its essentially 4 papers are the only assignments however I would not suggest this class as a gen ed. very boring and very TA based. However I should've gotten an A had I done all of the participation questions

Participation matters
So many papers
Graded by few things
5.0
1.0
ANTH231
Grade: A
Dec 16, 2024
Would take again

Dr. Billman is a phenomenal lecturer and incredibly well-traveled. He has personal ties with half the archaeologists in the curriculum, and he's got a great sense of humor. The class was super engaging; attend lectures and take notes, though, because slides are sparse. Loved him so much that I'm taking two of his classes next sem as a busi major.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
Feb 9, 2025
Would take again

Professor Billman keeps the class engaging with his hilarious lectures. While attendance is mandatory, the easy exams and lax grading make this a great gen ed. Unstuckstudy was super helpful for preparing.

5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 6, 2025
Would take again

Loved him, clearly very passionate about the subject

Hilarious
Caring
5.0
1.0
ANTH231
Grade: A
Mar 27, 2025
Would take again

Funny guy. Lectures are chill, he just shows you some pictures and tells you some stories. Exams and assignment were very easy. You honestly have to try super hard to not get a good grade in this class.

Participation matters
Amazing lectures
Hilarious
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Apr 23, 2025
Would take again

I took this class for a focus capacity and I am so glad I did. Although the exams/ 2 papers were no cake walk, he is such a funny professor and made class super enjoyable. Just go to lectures and take notes, and you'll be fine.

Get ready to read
Hilarious
4.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
Apr 24, 2025
Would take again

Pretty easy A/A-. Billman is cool, and his lectures are probably as entertaining as they can be.

Hilarious
Lecture heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 1, 2025
Would take again

Billman was easily the best lecturer I have had at UNC. His lectures were funny and very helpful for the exams. Very exam-heavy, but with a little studying of exam objectives before the exam. As long as you attend lectures, take good notes, and study before the exams you cannot get a bad grade. Easy focus capacity credit.

Amazing lectures
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
5.0
1.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 5, 2025
Would take again

Knows not to be too serious. Notes are easy to complete if you go to class and mildly pay attention. He will often have some goofy tale or joke to make class interesting. Exams are ripped straight from the provided objectives. TAs were also relaxed and graded easy. Chill gen-ed with a chill dude. Would recommend.

Respected
Test heavy
5.0
1.0
ANTH220
Grade: A+
May 5, 2025
Would take again

Professor Billman was a great professor. He's in the center of all archaeological lessons he's teaching. He has a lot of connections with anthropologists and archaeologists out in the world. He's very lenient on the assignments as long as you do it. Don't be afraid to talk to him.

Group projects
Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 8, 2025
Would take again

Honestly a sweetheart! You should go to class (attendance + need notes for exams). It was a pleasure to attend-- never a chore. Studying was even fun, because the content was like a fun game of composing the story of history.

EXTRA CREDIT
Clear grading criteria
Hilarious
5.0
1.0
ANTH145
Grade: A
May 8, 2025
Would take again

I loved this class; he is a great/fun lecturer! Your grade is 75% exams (3 midterms, the last midterm is the final, non-cumulative) but they're easy if you go to class and study at all - he gives a list of possible exam questions and pulls directly from it when writing the exams. Attendance is mandatory and recitation has a group project (easy A).

Group projects
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
5.0
2.0
ANTH145
Grade: C+
May 12, 2025
Would take again

i loved his humor and engaging lectures! i recommend this class however it can be hard to do well on exams if you do not attend every single class. there are few assignments so exams are weighted pretty heavily.

Tough grader
Amazing lectures
Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
May 14, 2025
Would take again

Good GenEd, although exams and papers are slightly hard.

Participation matters
EXTRA CREDIT
Clear grading criteria
5.0
3.0
ANTH145
Grade: A-
May 21, 2025
Would take again

Lectures were always fun and exams were pulled from objective questions, you want to take note of things he says in class because they're not on the slides; Exam 2 was slightly harder for some reason

Clear grading criteria
Caring
Lecture heavy
4.0
3.0
ANTH145
Sep 11, 2025
Would take again

Took this class as my friends as an 'easy A'. Easy A's do not exist here, you're gonna have to put work in to get the grade you want. You gotta go to class, pay attention, and study. If you do that, you'll get a good grade, but don't think it's gonna be a joke of a class you can take as a filler. Class is fun and interesting.

Amazing lectures
Clear grading criteria
Lecture heavy
4.0
2.0
ANTH231
Grade: A
Dec 7, 2025
Would take again

I found his lectures to be pretty interesting since a lot were about personal work he did down in Peru. Quite an easy class if you put in work for the essays and keep engaged. Would definitely take him again I love his sense of humor.

Amazing lectures
Hilarious
Lecture heavy
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

63%

Textbook Required

31%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 73 grades
Most common grades:
A (45)
A- (14)
Not sure yet (10)
Grade Distribution
A(48)B(4)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(20)
Based on 84 reported grades
A: 45
A-: 14
Not sure yet: 10
B+: 6
Common Tags
Hilarious (40)
Lecture heavy (29)
Amazing lectures (28)
Graded by few things (18)
Caring (15)
Skip class? You won't pass. (13)
LECTURE HEAVY (9)
Test heavy (9)
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5.0

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4.7

(13)

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4.5

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2.0

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