Be good at writing essays. Don't let it scare you if you aren't; I'm not and I'm doing good. Lectures are interesting:I haven't even been tempted to fall asleep which is unusual for me. A 5 minute quiz once a week, a mid-term consisting mostly of an essay, a term paper, and final...mostly an essay. He tries not to let on, but he is really funny.

He's young and therefore understands the students well. He's a GENIUS about history. The guy's done everything and been everywhere. He's really interesting and funny. There's essays involved, but as long as you get to the point, he likes it. Lectures aren't mandatory, but heck, they're awesome! I'm not even a history person and this class was good.

I definately recommend Professor Hodson. He knows his stuff and is funny. His lectures are never boring, that's for sure! You will do fine in his class as long as you go to lectures and take notes, and read the materials. I can't emphasize how funny he is! There's a 5-minute quiz every Friday, but they are easy as long as you read the material.

He is an amazing teacher!! Not the typical BYU teacher he's young and hilarious. Make sure you do the extra reading thats what he tests on!

Be forewarned! He grades you on your writing skills, so your writing is weak, you will not get an "A" in this class. He is liberal, but at BYU, it is a bit refreshing. He doesn't grade you on if you are liberal or not. He is funny though you may not see it on the first day. He is also very willing to help students if they would like help.

Highly Recommended. I loved this class and Bro. Hodson is not at all mainstream. He goes through history with a refreshing point of view. Very funny, and yes, you need to write well to succeed in this class. I am planning to take another class from him next semester.

Not your typical BYU teacher, but in a very good way. Knows his stuff, and still continues in his own scholarship. He's not one of those over achieving teachers that expects you to be the same, though he is brilliant. Lectures are important to attend, but they are enjoyable. As for the writing...get to the point, and prove it and he'll love it.

Hodson is one of the best professors I've had at the Y! He honestly cares about his students an loves what he is teaching. This is my second class from him and I would take a third if I could. He does require a lot of reading but its not dry text book stuff. If your not willing to read 200 pages or more a week don't take the class.

One of the best professors I've had at BYU. Lectures are very interesting and very entertaining. Does a great job at grasping the whole pictures while focusing on lesser known individuals in history. Really loves his stuff and that shows. Also cares about his students as people. Take the papers and daily quizzes seriously.

I love this guy! He's incredible, knows his stuff and LOVES it, and he makes you love it too. He really wants to help you, if you have any questions, ask and he'll bend over backwards for you. Even in a huge lecture class, he learns your name and calls you by it. Very personal. Work hard, do the readings, and be specific and you'll get an A.

Great guy, I definitely recommend him. He is hilarious and witty, and makes lectures really interesting. Writing is a big deal, so if you can't write well then don't take him. Be sure to attend class and do the reading, which can be hefty at times. All in all, a great class!

Excellent Teacher!!! He is well-organized and very interesting. Books are wonderful and the class is enjoyable. Hodson is hilarious and is very approachable.

Super, wicked, awesome lecturer. Lots of reading in this class but really interesting stuff. His goal is to make you a better writer more than anything else, hence the quick-write quizzes and essay/short-answer tests. I found his tests to be short compared to my other HIS classes. He marks tough though.

A great class whether you are a history major or not. Hodson likes class discussion and questions. He adds interesting things to the lecture and assigns great reading. The tests don't try to fool you. You have to work hard though if you want to do well, but Hodson is very helpful and a good guy in general.

Excellent Professor. Very helpful, funny, laid back and really smart. Mostly interesting lectures. I loved this class, and I'm not that into history

I can honestly say that I learned the most from this class my last semester at BYU. The amount of reading was a bit much... but what you get out of it is worth it. Not for those with poor time management skills, though.

It's tough to find teachers who can lecture as well as Hodson. Class is not mandatory but is extremely helpful. If you do your reading and come to class you'll be fine. He's really honest about the history church and understands that there are certain things in church history we have to confront. Good sense of humor too.

Positives: GREAT TEACHER! You will not get bored in class. Makes subjct interesting and dispels all American myths and tells truth. MUST READ EVERYTHING! Take good notes. Midterm/Final are all written but based 99% on notes. Negative: LOTS of reading! Takes time. 2 hour class is long. Study notes-dont get left behind!

Best professor I have every had in my life!!!!!! It's not even that hard either, the reading is way fun, and he is seriously the BEST lecturer in the world. I had 8am class but soooo looked forward to coming every day and hearing him. He is refreshingly open minded and very helpful and nice. You would be crazy not to take a class from him.

Professor Hodson is an awesome teacher! There is tons of reading, but if you do it all the class is pretty easy. He makes US history interesting. He knows what he's talking about. He's also pretty funny. Definitely take this professor!

Very good professor. Gives interesting, clear lectures. The amount of reading was high and his grading was pretty tough, but I learned a lot in this class and enjoyed it.

This is what a college class should be like. Engaging professor, interesting reading assignments, and productive and informative discussions. Lots of reading, but nothing tricky comes out of it on the tests. Is a tough grader on papers, but also helpful, understanding, and encouraging. Makes you work for an A, but a must have professor and class!

Prof. Hodson's class was one of the most fascinating classes I've ever taken. There's a fair bit of reading. The tests don't mean to trick you, but they come primarily from the textbook. You would be insane not to show up to lectures though. They are fantastic!

He focuses on the oppressed which I thought enabled me to see history from a different perspective then normally taught. Only a few assignments so you have to really well on them and he has pop quizzes whenever he feels like it so definitely do your reading. Also the tests cover reading and lectures, but lectures do not always cover reading.

Dr. Hodson takes a different perspective of American History which I really appreciate. I kind of get annoyed when US history classes are super patriotic and his are more balanced. There are several papers, a midterm, and test but he is a lenient grader. My first paper for that class was the worst I've ever written and he only docked a few points.

I took both his 220 class and the French Revolution class. Even though after I took 220 I knew I wouldn't get an A in French Rev I still wanted to take it because his lectures are so good. Big research paper and tests but he is a lenient grader. Highly recommend but don't expect an A without a lot of effort.

Dr. Hodson is easily one of the best professors at the University. Attendance is not required but you would have to be insane to miss a class. He is hilarious and knowledgable and does not regurgitate apologetic patriotic star-spangled nonsense like most teachers of US history. Take his class, and prepare to be dazzled.

His lectures are amazing. He takes events that happened in history and talks about them in simple language. Though I did well, I didn't like how he expected everyone to know how to write in the history style (presenting an argument not presenting historical facts) without explaining it. If you don't understand this style your papers will struggle.

Professor Hodson is by far one of my favorite teachers here at BYU! His lectures are very interesting and entertaining! He has a sense of humor and is a very relaxed professor. He is a tough grader when it comes to the papers and is very particular about what he is looking for, but he gives you guidelines and good feedback.

Prof Hodson is really funny and gives great lectures. He is sarcastic. Doesn't outline what he wants from you when grading the papers, and is a tough grader. He's very nice and willing to help you though if you make an effort. If you can go to class and take good notes, the tests are a breeze.

Hilarious. Would definitely take again. Dr. Hodson really knows his stuff, and he helped me change the way I think about American history. The way he describes the impetus for social change within a North American framework is poetic. I swear... he dropped words I had never even heard before so nonchalantly it was entertaining. Awesome!

Prof Hodson is a great teacher. He is very entertaining and seriously hilarious. He expects a lot but is willing to work with you. He is very accessible outside of class so definitely take advantage of that, otherwise you will not do well on papers. You are graded on a few essays, 1 midterm and a final.

Professor Hodson is the best professor I've ever had. It's not an easy class, but the lectures are fascinating and he is hilarious. It's incredible how much I learned in such a short time. He is extremely knowledgeable about his field and his passion for it makes the class that much more interesting. I would definitely take a class from him again.

Dr. Hodson really expanded my lens about what I thought was normal. He challenged the way I understand things. I loved his class. Workload is doable. Pretty average. Lectures were FANTASTIC.

THIS CLASS IS HARDER THAN ACC 200 and FIN 200 TOGETHER LITERALLY the TAs are sooo harsh on grading and you think you do good on the writing and points are taken off for no reason. good luck

Probably one of the most interesting lecturers I've ever had. You have to read a lot, but it's only to your advantage. There aren't thousands of small quizzes to make you consume and regurgitate random facts. Show up to lectures and read your books and you'll be fine. Anything not to take American Heritage.

Prof Hodson is the BEST and made history so enjoyable for me. I dreaded taking this class but absolutely loved coming to class (he is hilarious) and loved the way he made us think deeper about history than just "memorization." Very clear assignments (lots of reading on top of the textbook, but the assignments are simple) and straightforward tests!

There is a lot of reading, but I got through the class just fine without doing most (any) of it. It will help you with participation, though, and participation matters. He organizes content really well. Great teacher, and I would highly recommend a class from him.

Dr Hodson is by far the best history professor I've had. He's super sarcastic, and gives amazing lectures. He's really passionate about what he teaches. His papers are really intimidating and he's a hard grader. Definitely not an easy class, but he's fair, and is always willing to help.

Professor Hodson is the perfect demonstration of what an advanced liberal education rooted in history and the humanistic classics will birth; an intelligent, passive aggressive SJW with a fetish for perfect English (and a reverence for all things French, of course). His storytelling skills are exquisite. But good luck deciphering the tested ideas.

Professor Hodson makes history sound like the greatest thing in the world. He is insightful at teaching to connect parts of history together because it's all one interrelated story. I enjoyed his recorded lectures, although many were extremely long. One was over 2.5 hours. He expects amazing writing out of every student, but he was very supportive.

Dr. Hodson is sarcastic, woke, & pretty likable (even if you're conservative). He portrays history as a tragedy where white men ruined everything. You have to read 3 books (theyre good but dont get behind), write 1 research paper on your own and 1 w/ a group (that was awful but I'm still alive), and take good notes during lectures to pass exams.

Professor Hodson is one of the funniest professors in the History Department. He wants you to work for your grade, but he does his best to make things better. Some students didn't do well on the first test, but he changed his tests afterwards (and curved the first test) because he wants you to succeed.

honestly great dude. the set up of his class is that you watch powerpoints before so you get the info beforehand and then class is just discussing it: like the whys and maybe and what ifs of history. its actually beneficial. Tests are a breeze if you have a good TA. just a couple books thru out the semester w/ short papers. pretty solid class.

Amazing class with an amazing professor.

I may not have gotten an A, but this class is worth it. He makes you think, and my writing (from 4 papers) has gotten drastically better. I will take another one of his classes as a history teaching major, even though I may not get an A. His class is worth the effort. I would recommend Dr. Hodson to every student at BYU.

Professor Hodson is brilliant. His lectures are phenomenal, and he's great at examining history from different perspectives. He's a little snarky, but he's always willing to help his students. Start working on your papers early and don't skip class!

Dr. Hodson's class was very enjoyable, it was good teaching of US History that I feel the parts that are left out of high school history are taught. Some people make think Dr. Hodson is mean but that is not true! He is always willing to meet with you and talk about hard topics or your papers.

I really loved Prof. Hodson, so here are the most imporant things to know: he is a great teacher, but he does have a unique sense of humor and he's a stickler for grammar in papers. I would recommend taking a class from him, but this isn't a class you can breeze through without work. Free textbook online, only a few papers, challenging tests.

He is the best history professor I have ever had! At the beginning of the semester I was a little intimidated, but then realized Prof. Hodson is awesome. His classes are super fun and he tells lots of funny stories. Make sure to take notes cause the exams are based on them. He does not believe in study guides, but the tests are totally doable.

I freaking love him! I'm taking as many classes as I can from him in the future. He's got a dry sense of humor and shows a different side to history - I looked forward to every class. He treats students as equals and is super lenient if you're having a tough semester - I turned in almost every assignment late and still got a good grade

Great guy with an amazing sense of humor, but he's definitely not a walk in the park. Pop quizzes, in-class debates, and a huge research paper determine your grade. He expects a lot out of you, so don't be fooled by his sarcastic demeanor. If you need an extension, ask privately, because he gets kinda disappointed if you ask that stuff in class.

The amount of work for this class was not too overwhelming, just easy class debates and a few papers (including a 10-12 pg term paper) and 5 pop quizzes throughout the semester, which were not included in the syllabus. You had to go to class in case there was a quiz and tons of readings but pretty easy to just glance at before class and be fine.

I love Prof Hodson! He truly loves his stuff and cares about the info he's giving you. There is a lot of reading but they are interesting books. He won't hesitate to answer any questions in class and participation is fun! I love history and he gave me another reason to love it. Want to get out of American Heritage? Take this class! I don't regret

Professor Hodson was good, he knows his stuff, and he cares. He goes well above to make sure he knows the content well. He can be mildly opinionated and a little tempered at times but he always lets you know when its his opinion which is great

Hands down best history teacher I've had so far. He genuinely cares about history and his students and it shows. His humor may be hard for some to understand as he is sarcastic and will go back and forth with students, but it always kept me entertained. Dense reading and no study guides, but paying attention in class will get you through no problem

I liked his lectures a lot. hes funny and also very informative. You got to stay afloat with all the reading and the essays though. there are not a lot of things to be graded on other than the essays throughout the semester. start reading the books early and go to the TAs for help. i recommend this class for a IN DEPTH look prior to reconstruction

Professor Hodson has a great sense of humor, made lectures entertaining, and was accessible outside of class. There was lots of reading involved and everything was graded by his TA's. The course was graded by few things which made it difficult, but Professor Hodson helped me see the world with a new perspective. I enjoyed his class.

Chris Hodson is an absolute GOAT. He is the funniest Professor I've had so far. I would take as many classes from him if possible. Is he a tough grader, yes, but he gives you ample time to prepare. He is also very lenient with extending deadlines if you're genuinely struggling. Stay on top of reading or else you'll fall behind on quizzes and tests.

Prof. Hodson was great! He made each class entertaining and engaging. There aren't a ton of assignments but they are graded pretty harshly so it makes it a little harder than other classes to get that easy A. He's always willing to help and is understanding of challenges.

He was very funny, but also taught a lot about the lesser known parts of history. He focuses less on the stats and more about the sociological impact of historical events. Sometimes the lectures end up just being Q and A sessions where you learned nothing except what people wanted to ask. Recommend for anyone who struggles with memorization.

490 is the History Capstone, and Hodson teaches Microhistory. Had so much fun researching and being mentored by him. Highly recommend. Ask him for a Canadian studies shirt, they're really comfortable (and free).

Wow... I will admit that I was initially nervous to take this class as people said he was notoriously difficult. His class is hard, but his teaching style makes it completely doable. I think I have grown as a student more in this class than I have in my 3 years of college before this. This class in time became my favorite class at BYU.

Lots of reading, which probably 80% of it is needed to do well in the class (over 1000 pages total). 8 in class quizzes throughout semester on the readings. 4 essays, but they aren't too bad. Ton of info given in lectures, but they can still be pretty interesting. Not an easy A at all, but probably the best option for HIST 220 if taking for a GE

One of my favorite professors I have had a BYU. There is a bit of reading, but besides that, there are very few assignments, so it is easy to perform well in the course if you regularly attend lectures. Would highly recommend attending the TA review sessions—they will tell you almost everything you need to know for the exams.

One of my favorite professors I've had at BYU. Gives so much context for how history has influenced our behaviors today. There's a lot of reading, but his lectures are so fascinating. He's quite funny and personable. He infected me with the woke mind virus

Lots of reading but not too bad if you schedule it out. I'm a 4.0 student and the content was not difficult at all. The average scores on the tests were ~80% and then for the big essay ~93%. Class is very doable and Dr. Hodson won't be your problem if you struggling to get a good grade. Just pay attention in class, and do the reading and you got it

Professor Hodson was amazing! I hate history and took this class for a GE and was dreading it, but if you are gonna take this class from anyone, take it from him. He is hilarious and makes topics easy to understand. There is a lot of reading, but as long as you do it and take notes in class, you will pass it.

There was a lot of reading, but it was a good class. I learned a lot and I like history.

Took this class for a GE and ended up liking it. I'm the furthest thing from a history major, but once I started taking better notes, everything clicked and got interesting. I struggled on the first test but got an A on the second when I put in the work. It's what you make of it, and Professor Hodson is funny too!

I really loved this class, and I think that is because of Professor Hodson! I thought his lectures were extremely interesting, and I think he does a good job highlighting parts of history that traditional history classes skip over. He was a very fair grader and was happy to accommodate students when needed!

Loved professor Hodson. He tries to scare you off the first week, which honestly almost worked. He gives great lectures that help you understand the material while still being entertaining. Genuinely my favorite class this semester. Lots of reading, but it's interesting material.

Professor Hodson is one of the best professors the BYU history department has to offer. His classes are in no way easy, but you'll learn so much from him. He also has a witty, dry sense of humor and it's fun to catch his humor in lectures. He explores some of the most underrated and very needed aspects of history in his classes. You'll learn tons!