While this is a tough class, it is bearable and often interesting. Darren's lectures are usually pretty good. Lots of reading and papers. Tests are essay, and difficult. Good teacher overall though.

What a fun class! Hawkins really helped us to learn a lot and made class entertaining. The load is reasonable, tests fairly predictable, and it's definitely survivable. I'd recommend him to anyone.

Great professor. Laid back, funny, and willing to pick and listen to both sides of an argument. Strong Human Rights focus. Reasonable work and reading loads. Fairly easy tests and papers. Highly recommended.

Very helpful and the workload is perfect. He explains things very well and class materials are interesting.

He explains complicated ideas with clarity and thoughtfulness. He respects student comments, but he'll probe the value of the position and think critically. His classes are demanding, but fair.

Hawkins sure knows his stuff. He is a really good teacher and is willing to listen to any intelligent opinion anyone has to offer, which makes it validating to participate, unlike with some profs. He is not an easy grader and is not always clear on exactly what he wants from the papers, so I recommend submitting a rough. Good class though.

I have learned a ton during his class. He is a great professor! If you take his class, be ready to work very hard - but in the end you will realize it was all worth it.

2 weekly quizzes of 3-4 questions based on readings, he has a reading guide so it's not hard The Mid-term had a good study guide and the actual midterm was 5 essay questions. There is a paper due at the end of the semester 14 pages but you can do it in pairs (7 pages each) The Final is similar to the midterm overall straightforward small EC option

Clearly concerned about making the course as helpful as possible to students. Listens to everyone's opinions and helps guide effective discussions during lecture. Homework is fairly rigorous (expected for a 4-credit class) but applicable. Laid back, reasonable, and very smart. I loved this class and learned a ton from it!

Hawkins was super fun and a good teacher. His assignments were more or less unnerving but there was a lot of help offered. Lectures were fun, but the labs were key.

At first I liked the class, then hated it, then appreciated what it taught. Good professor, willing to help and give you his time. Weekly assignments can take a lot of time, but if you are friends with your TA you will succeed. Do the reading - it helps with the quizzes.

Hawkins is a good, fair professor. His lectures are incredibly interesting and the assignments are valid and thought-provoking. Don't be scared by the 4 credit label: you have an assignment due once a week with readings due twice a week, but it's nothing unbearable. I've had tougher 3 credit classes for sure.

I really like this guy. He is smart and a good teacher. The stats portion was a little hard because thats not his area of expertise, but everything else was easy to understand. He is a fair grader and he gives the tie to the runner. My grade was on the edge and he bumped me because he is not a heartless robot. Put in the work and you will do fine.

Professor Hawkins is a fabulous, Nerdy, loving, genius human being. I loved his class. It was hard and as someone who had not taken an international relations class before I had some catching up to do. He is a fanatic about his subject. He is a tough grader and the tests are hard but well worth the rigor. I learned a ton.

Professor Hawkins cares about his students. He's a real dude with real problems. He totally gets that other people have problems too! He's understanding, really funny, and really helpful. The TAs for the this class were also great.

Professor Hawkins was a great Political Science teacher. There is an essay due every single week for the class, and he trains his TAs to grade hard. He expects a lot from whoever takes his class. That being said, it was such an accomplishment. This class made me stretch myself, and it is all very doable. His class effectively helps students learn.

Hawkins was a really enjoyable teacher. He can be a little quirky at times, but he's really caring and hilarious. Short reading quizzes happen at the beginning of each class period and you have a paper due every week. Most of the grading is done by the TAs, and they do a good job. Hawkins is a good choice for POLI200.

Professor Hawkins is easily the most approachable political science professor at BYU. Besides intelligent, he is understanding, relatable, and willing to help. I think that all students can appreciate his humble attitude and great sense of humor. If you are nervous to take any of his classes, don't be! 200 is a lot of work, so plan on that.

Dr. Hawkins was my favorite professor this semester. His lectures are in-depth and interesting, and he has some wild stories. He cares a lot about his students, and was willing to flex on a few deadlines with us when we were overworked. He assigns a textbook chapter or two per class, but his lectures did a good job of summing everything up.

Great teacher! So fun, quirky, and relatable. Love him and would love to take his class again. Yeehaw

The class was interesting and definitely made me a better researcher but the stats section of it almost killed me. I struggle in math and I didnt understand anything hat we were doing. The assignments that werent stats were hard but definitely a lot more manageable. Made me reconsider my major. If you are confident in stats youll be fine

I loved taking from Professor Hawkins! He REALLY cares about his students and will change assignment dates if he can tell everyone is too stressed about it. He also started doing podcasts instead of readings and it was amazing! I would definitely recommend taking Poli Sci 200 from him. You won't regret it.

Great professor. You do podcasts instead of readings usually, which is way nice. Really funny and understanding. Wasn't as great at teaching the stats part of class (3 weeks), but was super otherwise. Get to know your TA like they're your new best friend (cuz they are). You will absolutely become a better writer and researcher with Hawkins.

Prof. Hawkins is an awesome guy who cares a lot and has a lot of cool experience in the field. It is a rigorous class, but you learn so many good and necessary skills. Since Poli 200 is required for a lot of students, it's always a big lecture hall, so TAs will be your best friend. They do all the major grading so get their feedback on everything.

I absolutely loved this class. It's definitely tough. Worth it though? Absolutely. You literally feel yourself improving as a write over the course of the semester. The semester I took it Dr. Hawkins got rid of most of the reading and replaced it with podcasts so we could learn from actual experiments. THIS. WAS. PHENOMENAL. Would take again.

He is hands down one of my favorite professors of all time if not my complete favorite. I didn't know anything about politics but now I feel like I want to be a politician He is a tough grader on the essays but just do the readings and take the quizes and you'll be fine. LOTS of reading.

I LOVE Dr. Hawkins. He totally understands that students are people too, so he doesn't poor buckets of homework/assignments on you. The assignments can be hard, but an A is very doable if you go to his office hours and talk to him. His grading is very reasonable, he's hilarious, and he's such a great lecturer; will take this class again if possible

I took Christensen for 2 months before withdrawing because my grade was suffering from Ds on the weekly assignments. Then, I took Darren's class. Honestly night and day difference. I got high Bs and As on all the papers. IMO take Hawkins, it's not even close. Do you want to somewhat enjoy 4 months of pain? Or do you want to suffer 4 months of pain?

He really cares about his students. He knows about Latin America but wasn't afraid to say I don't know for certain issues and ask the Latin American students in the class to share their perspectives. Papers were complex but doable if you pay attention in class and ask for some clarification.

This class takes a lot of work, but it's really useful and the skills you learn are highly applicable to other polisci classes. The lectures were focused, you typically listen to podcasts instead of do readings, and if you put in consistent effort can get good scores on papers.

He's a pretty solid professor and typically nice and understanding if you approach him. As far as the class, he does a fine job of establishing expectations and has the off chance of being forgiving (i.e. extending due dates or dropping assignments).

He's a great professor, but the course is very difficult. The stats portion (the second half) really hit my grade. Do all your assignments and attend class to get good grades. Rely on your TA to help you! Julia L (Winter 2021) was my most favorite TA I've ever had in my college courses. The professor does a great job of getting amazing TAs.

I was afraid to take this class because I am not a poli sci major, but I felt perfectly fine and loved it!! There is a lot of reading, and the essays are hard, but it is doable. Dr. Hawkins' lectures are amazing and he is a sweetie. If you are a LT AM minor, take this class!!! I learned so much!!!

Great class although it is hard. Professor Hawkins really wants people to succeed but he also is rally harsh with his grading so getting an A is hard. I feel like I learned so much though!

I had an A in this class until the statistics section RIP. Become BEST FRIENDS with your TA, meet with Hawkins, and go to TA office hours and you will have a solid foundation in this class. It is meant to be hard, but it is not impossible. I put in 9 hours a week or more which is about what this class requires. It is difficult but I enjoyed it.

He really cares about his students and makes time to help anyone who is struggling. He is a great teacher/lecturer until you get to the stats part. I usually get math really easily, but he just doesn't know how to teach it well at all. He goes too theoretical and doesn't help you actually develop stats skills. Really reasonable grading though.

I LOVED THIS CLASS! I recommend any class by Professor Hawkins but this one, in particular, is best because this is what his research has been focused on so he is very passionate which leads to a fun and engaging class.

I enjoyed Dr. Hawkins class even though it was difficult. He is willing to work with students and modify deadlines if needed, very understanding in that regard. Class was tough, lots of reading but I mostly enjoyed it.

Yes the class if brutal and the grading is harsh, but the professor is fantastic. I would suggest all who have to take this class to take it with professor Hawkins. I enjoyed the stats portion more than the other material (less biased grading in my opinion), but if you spend your days in the TA lab you will get a good grade on the other assignments

Prof Hawkins is one of my favorite professors but the class was TOUGH! Treat it like your part time job! The TA's are accessible and Dr. Hawkins really likes to get to know his students. He cares about the mental health of his students and makes that very clear. No study guides/reviews for the final and LOTS of papers. I learned so much though!

Hawkins is great. He cares a ton for students and will do what he can to help you succeed. That being said, there is a lot of work and you will spend about 9 hours a week outside of class for homework. But his grading criteria is clear, and the TAs are super helpful too. You will do fine if you just put in the work he requires.

This class is a full time job - prepare for ~9 hours a week outside of class. But it's so worth it, and he is amazing. You can tell he loves his students. Go to TA office hours and go to class so you get the most out of it. This class is a trial by fire, but it's necessary and SO worth it. I loved Dr. Hawkins and I hope I have him for another class

Yes, POLI200 is extremely difficult, but that's the nature of a weed-out class. Prof Hawkins is a genius and extremely understanding. He wants you to succeed and learn from this class. His TA's are amazing. Only take this class if you're positive you have to for your major.

This class was by far the best class I have taken at BYU. Professor Hawkins accomplishes all of the aims of a BYU education and promotes a warm and welcoming class enviorment. Although he is a tough grader, this was vital to my learning beacuse it led me think deeply about concepts taught in class. His class was the highlight of my BYU experience!!

Great class, great professor. Really insightful lectures that engaged the class well. I really appreciated the learning experiences that were given. Papers can be a bit tough, but Prof. Hawkins is clear about what is expected and is willing to communicate with the class about deadlines and requirements. Exams aren't hard, and are well communicated.

It seems that 380 was polarizing, according to the other comments, but I loved the class and I loved Professor Hawkins. I'm not Latino, but always felt valued and heard in the class. Professor Hawkins obviously cares about his students and the course matter, and teaches it passionately.

This was a difficult class. Lots of writing and half is statistics! There is a paper due almost every Saturday, though they are short. He uses podcasts a lot and he does brain breaks in class. Professor Hawkins is one of the kindest people I've ever met. He is understanding of students' needs, and so funny. He really cares and it shows.

Definitely the hardest class I've taken at BYU so far but so worth it; I've gotten much better at research and writing. The stats portion is hard. Weekly essays, one final. Professor Hawkins is amazing, he has great lectures and is also so accommodating and understanding of students' needs. Go to TA office hours often if you want a good grade!!!

I love Dr. Hawkins - definitely one of my favorite professors. This is the best class I've taken. There's a decent amount of homework - readings & a few papers, but tests are open-note and he's always accessible outside of class. The lectures are always interesting and uplifting, and I looked forward to this class every day. 1000/10 would recommend

Hawkins is such a nice guy, and taught the class well given how difficult of a curriculum it is. Grading on the papers was pretty arbitrary, however, and a lot of students were frustrated at the lack of standardization. The papers are gnarly and hard to do well on. Really light on homework, which was nice. Lectures were pretty boring.

I could have tried harder in this class. To be honest, he gives great guidelines on how to succeed and his lectures are pretty engaging. It's not the most rigorous IR or PoliSci class I've taken so the papers are not long and neither are the readings. He has a good understanding and passion for Latin America that is missing with similar professors.

Every professor who is thrown into the crucible of POLI 200 will receive bad reviews from all of the whiny first and second year Poli Sci students. Ignore them and take a class from this guy that ISN'T POLI 200. He's blunt to a fault, can come off as a little abrasive, but he DEEPLY cares about you. Papers are graded harsh, but fair.

I absolutely loved this class! It was by no means an easy class, but it taught me a great deal about politics and data analysis. It often feels like a lot of work, but every assignment has a purpose and I wouldn't change much. I highly recommend taking a class with Professor Hawkins!

Dr. Hawkins is a kind, genuine person. He wants to make the world a better place, and he shows great passion for what he teaches. This is not an easy class, but don't let that scare you away! The only way you will learn how to write in political science is to go through the refiner's fire of Poli 200. He is generally good at lecturing.

Professor Hawkins is totally awesome and such a great guy/professor. The class is challenging but if you meet with your TA it really helps!! You have every opportunity to receive a good grade and Professor Hawkins helps so much and is just so great. I really recommend him and have learned so much from this class!

Dr. Hawkins loves what he teaches and cares deeply about the skills he wants you to develop. While a lot of grading is done by TA's you can do pretty good in the class if you put in the effort. This class is meant to teach you how to write professionally and that is no easy task, don't give up and don't get discouraged.

Professor Hawkins cares, he does, but a lot of students don't seem to like him. I thought that he taught really well and from a nuanced perspective. He is very knowledgeable on the subject at had and is very accessible. The only portion of the class that got confusing was the stats portion. It's a hard class, but Professor Hawkins makes it easier.

This class was hard and took up a lot of time (I recommend a lighter course load), but I honestly loved it. It stretched me and helped me grow so much in my writing skills, stats knowledge, and political science knowledge. Professor Hawkins is an awesome professor and cares about his students. He's super passionate about the content, which helps!

I honestly thought this class was great! I learned a lot! Even though it does consist of quite a bit of writing, it truly is helpful and gets your thinking. I found this class helped me in other classes also. Professor Hawkins is great! I can tell that he truly prepares for his lectures and cares about what he is teaching and his students!

I am a big fan of Dr. Hawkins. He makes an effort to keep things relevant and engaging. He's always happy to provide assistance. The workload was meaningful but not overwhelming. There were basically just a few short papers, two open note tests, and short reading responses. Would 100% recommend. You could tell he really cares.

Professor Hawkins is such a caring man. He will work with you because he understands. He made UNIV such a lovely experience because he really worked to make it meaningful. He's so funny and such a joy to be around. Take UNIV from him if you actually want to get something out of it.