2.6
Quality4.1
Difficulty39%
Would Retake99
Reviews39%
Would Retake
99
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
25
4
8
3
9
2
23
1
34
What Students Say
“He has interesting experience and views, great professor”
ANTH206 - 5.0 rating“Sandell is lenient and very willing to help”
TRANS055 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
44%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
ANTHQUAL
5.0
(1)TRANS055
5.0
(1)ANTHRO201
5.0
(1)ANTH40433
5.0
(2)ANTH206
4.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
ANTHR2062
5.0
ANTH050
5.0
ANTH4423
5.0
ANTHMXAM
5.0
ANTHR3033
5.0
Reviews (99)
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I wouldn't even recommend this class to my worst enemy, that's how horrible this teacher is. His lectures are boring and esoteric and he has no concept of a well structured class. There is a tremendous amount of reading and the tests and quizzes are all in essay form. This class is nearly impossible to pass and is a complete waste of anyone's time.
Over half of the class dropped. And please be reminded his classes are introductory, but he makes it like a graduate class. He practices favoritism. He barely teaches, always depends on the talkative students to contribute. His paper requires us to deliver world class grammar & writing skill, not contents...
Not very good at the beginning of the semester, but definately improved. Lots of reading, but I never did it. I still BS'ed the quizzes pretty well and made A's and B's. His tests are pretty hard and long for such a short time, but still doable. Lots of writing.
this professor is an idiot...Not structured at all!!! He's really random and makes no connections to his lectures and the readings.
I took him for into to Antho.. and we had to do so much reading, which was actually interesting, but I did not learn anything from thic class from Sandell. Waist of time.
Polish your writing and analytical skills before you ever set foot in his class.
writing a paper in this class is impossible. his criticism is so harsh and unfair that it is so hard to get a descent grade on a paper. never have hated a teacher so much in my life.
Horrible teacher. Lectures are all over the place & don't relate to anything. Not helpful at all. Makes you feel dumb. Talks down to students when meeting 1 on 1 & even during class time.
Dr. Sandell is an exemplary professor who will challenge you to become both a better student and a better person. His dedication is rare among professors; indeed, he will spend hours outside of class with you to help you build your writing skills. If you are looking for an authentic intellectual experience at TCU, look no further than Dr. Sandell.
Dr. S is a great prof...he's kinda tough, but you'll come out better for it. Reading can be lil' dense, bu not too bad. Definitely worth taking
While I found the class interesting, he taught a 2000 level class like a graduate course and expected us to have prior in-depth knowledge before the class began. Though he is smart, he lacks the ability to bring a complex topic down to size. Would not recommend because in the end, I still had to fight with him for my grade (B+). Rough class.
Most students that give bad ratings come across as idiots, but please think this rating through before you consider his class. Though Sandell is kind, he lacks the ability to make a dense subject comprehensible: he assigns ridiculously long readings that while interesting, are not well explained in class, & he's very subjective when grading. Beware
Dr. Sandell is a nice person, but his Language & Culture class is nearly incomprehensible unless you already have a tons of prior knowledge. The readings might as well be in Greek for all the sense they make, and he often just doesn't understand why people are confused about a complex topic. The class is really not worth the agony.
He's a very nice person, but not exactly the best teacher for an intro class. He assigns massive amounts of reading that are difficult to get through because he wants you to retain every detail. He is very opinionated and wants you to see his point of view. Doesn't explain the complex ideas very well. Tests are all essay and subjectively graded.
Really is a nice guy! There is way to much reading to keep up with and is nearly impossible to retain the amount of detail needed for on the tests. There is only a midterm and a final of which you must choose two of four topics to write on. the topics that come from the weekly study questions through out the semester (4-5 a week) Its too much
As all the others have noted Dr. Sandell is a very nice, personable man, but he is practically useless in explaining topics, and tends to repeat his sayings rather than explain them. In addition, be prepared to hear why capitalism and "whites" are to blame for all the evils of our world. Very heavy on Marxist philosophy, and would not recommend him
He assigns obscene amounts of reading and multiple essay questions each week. You have to memorize all of those essay questions to answer only one or two on the exam. He never clarifies info from the reading and has students present their thoughts on the reading instead of teaching but then butts in anyway yet never explains the topics we read.
This class was awesome, a lot of hands on work that really illuminate the lecture, Sandell is great and really cares about his students, he brought us a ton of treats and will do whatever he can to help. The class required effort but if you put it forth you are golden.
If you want an easy class don't take this class. Then again if you're in college and expect to take easy classes then you should probably feel pretty bad about yourself. The material is easy to grasp, but you have to stay on top of it. Also Sandell is easily the most helpful prof. on campus.
He is extremely helpful, the class is interesting, stay on top of the readings and you will be fine. He has interesting experience and views, great professor.
Dr. Sandell is lenient and very willing to help. I recommend him to all.
useless professor who is not willing to help and will decide on a random grade. AVOIDE AT ALL COSTS (EVEN IF YOU ARE A MAJOR)
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROF. for any class! All he does it talk forever and you learn nothing. His classes have no structure and he assigns excessive amounts of reading that don't apply to anything he talks about. Absolutely pointless.
The class is very easy. All you have to do is keep up with readings and particpate in discussion. If you like to get by just skimming the reading and complaining, its not for you.
I took Intro to Anthro with him, and I think he's a generally good teacher. Most of the class is just class discussion about the readings, but Sandell is passionate about his work. As long as you do the readings, it's not hard. I'd recommend!
took intro to anthropology, used to be pretty excited about taking it but by the end it was one of the most absurd classes ive ever taken. The rest of the poor comments say it all except I'm pretty sure i have NEVER EVER been let out on time in that class. So if you your into that sort of thing id avoid him
I was so excited about anthro before I had him. The discussion based class was pointless to the hmwrk or tests. Easy A, but you have to teach yourself.
After taking his Language and culture class twice, I can truthfully say Dr. Sandell is an excellent professor. Yes the material can be dense but however once you learn the lingo of an anthropologist the course really begins to take off. Work toward learning the material and not a grade. Do this and the only way to fail is to not apply yourself.
I took Anthropology of Violence course. Although it was a higher level course, it was nearly incomprehensible. His "teaching method" is supposed to be in class discussion, but all you do is listen to his disconnected opinion filled thoughts only sometimes connected to the readings. EXTREMELY SUBJECTIVE GRADER
Sandell's Intro to Anthro class was literally AWFUL! Please safe yourself and do not have him as a professor. All he does is lecture about things completely irrelevant to the test of study guide topics. If you ask him for clarification he goes off on a rando tangents about nothing you asked. Got an A b/c I taught myself, don't expect him to.
Took him for Cultural Anth and Lang&Culture. Can be a bit dry, but overall a great professor. Willing to help. People most interested in the material are ANTH majors, so if you're not prepare to be a bit out of your element. Lots of reading, not excessive. Easy short exams.You can pull an A if you keep up with the reading and weekly study questions
David Sandell is an interesting character... To say the least. His class is difficult to pay close attention to, he is "funny" I suppose, but doesn't keep me awake very well. I cannot wait for this class to end.
If you aren't willing to rise to the challenge,don't bother taking Dr Sandell. He assigns the same amount of reading as the other Anth profs, but you are expected to actually critically read the text and discuss. He's not going to baby lazy people,he is going to train you to think and write critically. Your grade reflects your willingness to do so.
This class was the worst experience of my entire academic career. I was very excited to take his Intro class but I wish that I had stabbed myself repeatedly in the eyeballs instead. That would have been a far more enjoyable experience. Although his tests appear simple, he is an extremely harsh grader and does not give any basis of what to study.
This class is basically taking a philosophy class because Sandell goes off into long, long lectures EVERY single class about the "hidden, true meaning" behind things (which doesn't even sound legit). Participation is supposed to be everyday but he talks so much that it's hard which makes it hard for you to get credit for that. Boring, wouldn't take
Ok so basically Sandell gives study questions which he then picks two or three to be on the tests (3 tests, 1 final). He has lectures every period that are supposed to be group discussions but he goes off on weird tangents and analysis that leaves everyone scratching their head. Not impossible but requires alot of BS and tolerance. Gives ex. credit
Sandell pretty much just wanted to hear his own opinions repeated. He also was political but failed to hide which party he favors, which isn't bad since the research paper at the end of the semester should be written in the opinion of Sandell's political views.
CULTURAL ANTHRO: Sandell is a very tough grader. He has years of anthro experience and expects you to think like him. TONS of reading, but if you do the readings and answer the study questions you can pass. A's on tests are possible if you do study q's each week. No final, just a paper. Class is easy--just open discussions, but lots of homework.
I took Sandell for Intro to Anthro, and this was seriously the hardest class i've taken at TCU. You need to be at all the lectures or else you'll miss information you need to answer the test questions. He gives you possible test questions every week which is helpful, but grades tests really hard. I got a B and had to work so hard to even get that.
i took intro to anthro. he cares about his students a lot; he assigns a lot of reading each week but you don't really have to read it all because he gives you the test questions (short essay/paragraph response questions) before each test so you just have to find what you need to answer them. participate in class & do study questions & its an easy A
He is a very smart professor, but he cannot relay his info to the class. He is very scatter brained, and very unorganized. He also is not clear on his directions and what he expects for tests and the class. He acted like he wanted to help, very nice and acted that it was going to make a difference but it didn't. Definitely would not recommend.
None of those tags apply to this teacher. He says he wants participation but really wants you to watch him participate in his own discussion about himself, his ideas, and what he thinks about his ideas. Your thoughts don't matter if they don't line up with his. If you are a person of color, be prepared for him to patronize you. Don't take him.
You have to read 100+ pages every week for in class discussions and quizzes. You have to attend every class basically or you won't pass. He never teaches, your peers in the class teach, and yourself. WAY too much work for a class that is an elective. Tests are somewhat easy though. 6-8 page paper for the final (interview).
Teaches differently than most teachers, wants the students to learn skills instead of actual material. May seem hard at first but one of the best teachers I had at TCU . He cares about the students future which is different than most teachers. There is alot reading but if you do the work , you will most likely get a B or above in the course.
Sandell is an awesome Professor! His intro class was super great cause its super discussion based. All you have to do is just contribute to the conversation and give your opinion. It is a lot of reading but its not super difficult, mainly a lot of stories. An easy class if you just do what your suppose to.
Makes you read- and read, and read some more. Likes to have class discussions and gives participation grades. Attendance is huge since you are getting participation grades and weekly quizzes! Overall he was a nice guy and brought donuts to class!
If you like theory and discussion Sandell is great, but if you are trying to learn about the topic, good luck. You are required to read a lot, and analyze the articles. If you don't know how to analyze the articles to his liking don't expect him to teach you how. He also likes to hear himself talk. Recommend you don't disagree with him.
One of the best classes I have taken. He posited questions and allowed the students to engage in discussions to figure out the answer. Great listener and offers writing workshops that are very helpful.
Dr. Sandell is a brilliant professor who cares about his students. His course consisted of a lot of reading and participation but nonetheless, he catered the class to the students needs ( you were still expected to work for your A though). His test required 7+ hours of studying but if you like non fiction you won't have a problem.
Don't take this class. You have a participate every class in order to get a good grade for participation. Also there a lot of quizzes and the teacher grades super hard. The tests are very hard and there is a lot of memorization and a lot of reading. The final is a over a whole entire book.
Taking notes from his lecture is nearly impossible. The amount of reading is far more than an intro level course should be. Do not take Intro to C.A. unless you're truly interested in Cultural Anthropology.
You have around 30 pages to read for every week and there are weekly quizzes over reading. Grades on participation. You can't skip class. Not a hard class to pass if you just pay attention to what he says. Not many tests so you have to do well on the ones you do take. I thought it was easy, but there were a lot of people in my class who dropped.
Sandell assigns more reading per class than all of my other classes combined. He calls it an "Intro" class, but teaches it like a fourth year course. This is a course that satisfies 2 core credits so that is the only reason I stuck it out, but he sure made it hard. 100% do NOT recommend.
David Sandell is teaching a graduate-level course and for some reason its being passed off as an intro class. There's a staggering amount of reading (he sends postscripts every week with testable material), and the right answer to any question in the class is always what he specifically thinks, not the material. His class sets you up to struggle.
Dr. Sandell is really not that bad. The first month is the absolute worst but Dr. Sandell really does lighten up the course load as the semester goes on. Took this class during my first semester of freshman year. Just do the readings and talk 1x per class and he will reward you with a decent grade. He will learn your name and loves discussion.
The course was reading heavy with no clear purpose. The lectures did not connect to the subject matter, and pop quizzes were very specific. I would suggest taking a different anthropology professor on accounts that although Dr. Sandell is very knowledgeable on the subject, he can not express/ teach it to students.
His lectures were very scatterbrained, half the time I had no idea what he was talking about. He didnt communicate effectively what he wanted from certain projects and assignments, the whole class was constantly confused.
He is not clear whatsoever on any of his assignments. Tons to read, and his lectures go off in tangents. He grades way too tough, will consider what should be an A paper as an F if he doesn't like one thing. He teaches this course like we're grad students, not as an intro elective course. Do not take him or you'll be miserable the whole time.
Most of the grading depends on what your group gives you. This class was different from all of my other ones, but in a good way, very refreshing. You will read a lot, but the reading are very interesting. He cares a lot which goes a long way for me. Great class, you get the grade that you deserved, which is rare in the university.
Dr. Sandell cares a lot and is a very smart man but he just makes no sense. His instructions are never clear and the amount he expects you to read is completely unreasonable. I enjoyed the topics we covered but he overcomplicated everything and talked down to students all the time. Take something else if you can, you'll thank yourself for it.
Dr. Sandell is a great teacher. He is always there for his students and is always willing to help and provide feedback in any way he can. Although he assigns a TON of reading and writing assignments, his class is really worth it, as his lectures are very insightful and engaging. You will definitely come out of it with a new perspective of the world
You will read. you will write. you will be confused as hell by what he wants you to do. He is insanely smart but a little all over the place. Work hard and you can get an A. Strict attendance policy. He's tough but fair and passionate about what he does. if you love anthro he can be a blast, if not idk.
The class is heavy reading and discussion based. There are also assignments and quizzes that have nothing to do with the reading/discussion. My worst professor so far at TCU
I personally loved this guy. The class was 50 minutes but felt longer for sure, especially when he is lecturing. He is intelligent and experienced in the anthropology world. He has really cool stories but there is a lot of reading, 3 essays and quizzes, and a term paper so it is definitely English heavy.
I loved his class, but there was a lot of writing and reading assignments.
Too much reading
Just dont take this class. You think you are doing fine and then he does you dirty on the term paper and drops your whole letter grade. Hardest grader and does not translate well with college students.
Class was very content heavy and the exams were very difficult. You will also need to spend lots of time outside of class studying a group of people which takes lots of time.
One of the worst classes I've taken here at TCU. His grading was completely unclear, I never knew what his expectations were for assignments which is the thing that made the class so difficult. His lectures were completely disorganized and he just seemed incredibly scatterbrained. I struggled my entire way through this class, please save yourself.
He requires you to purchase 4 books for his class. Every reading was difficult to understand and he does not help at all with explaining it. His lectures do not have any visuals and his hand writing is chaotic and confusing. When he speaks, he does not go through the material smoothly, but decides to jump back and forth between ideas. DO NOT TAKE!
If I had to describe him, he is too smart for his own good (much to the detriment of the class). He goes on tangents that have nothing to do with the relevant course material and tends to degrade your answer if you dare to participate out loud, stating "you fell into my trap." I personally feel he has created every way possible to see you fail.
He was so scattered during his lecture, don't take this guy if you want to lose your hair.
Save yourself by going through all these reviews, the bads outdone the goods for a reason. For an introductory class, he sure converted you to anthropology major.
At first I hated him because he assigned so much reading and had stupid pop quizzes. Then he grew on me. Then at the end of the semester, he gave EVERYONE a 70 for participation. I only missed class for medical reasons that I emailed him about and he seemed to be understanding. He told us all we would pass, and we did. Just with bad grades.
Don't take him unless you have to. Would not have him again, goes on tangents and hard to follow what the meaning of his lectures are. He is flexible with meeting outside of class but does not make any sense.
A lot of reading. Extremely tough grader. He knows his material, but appears to have a hard time explaining it to beginner students. Very high standards when it comes to essay assignments. No sample paper and very little instruction. Would not recommend.
Professor Sandell is one of the sweetest professors I have had. He is very knowledgeable about anthropology. As long as you read and pay attention in lecture you will do good in his class. Exams are essay responses but as long as you understand the readings you will do fine. I would recommend this class for people who enjoy reading and writing.
I wish I'd looked at Rate My Professor before building my schedule. Professor Sandell is a very nice professor, don't get me wrong, but his class is VERY difficult to earn an A in. If you want an easy core, do not take him, if you interested in anthropology, he's quite interesting. Class is out of 100 points and only 4 exams/1 final/participation.
Dr. Sandell is an amazing person. He is funny, caring, and passionate about anthropology. If you take his class seriously, you will do well. It is a college-level course so expect college-level work. There are only four exams and a final; the rest of the class is just reading, taking notes, and studying. I highly recommend it, just don't slack off.
Dr. Sandell's class was the highlight of my semester. The subject matter is incredibly fascinating and I really enjoyed all of the readings. Dr. Sandell is funny, kind, and intelligent, and he is one of my favorite teachers I've ever had! The class is not easy but if you stay on top of the readings and pay attention to the lectures, you'll be fine.
Professor Sandell is one of my favorite professors so far. He is funny and engaging, and really knows what he is talking about. The class is by no means easy, but if you do the readings, pay attention in class, and make a couple of comments each class then you will have no problem getting a good participation grade or doing well on the exams.
David Sandell is a very smart, passionate educator, and I would say his teaching philosophy is rooted in the idea that he wants students to reach new bounds as a reader, test taker, and as a learner. His passion for the subject and his job cannot be understated and is incredibly visible each and every day, which adds to the value of the class.
If you are actually interested in learning and developing academic skills take Dr. Sandell! He pushed me to the best of my abilities throughout the semester and I could not be more grateful! As long as you are engaged in the content you will do fine, don't be intimidated.
Dr.Sandell is a solid professor and you can tell he's passionate about the course. The course itself is fairly easy, but requires a decent amount of reading. As long as you keep up with the readings and can formulate a coherent argument in your essays you should be fine.
Professor Sandell's course was very straightforward and simple. The course is very easy to get a good grade in, and requires little effort to receive perfect scores on every exam. There is an average amount of reading required for the class, and the answers to most questions can be sourced directly through the textbooks, along with his lectures.
Prepare to be amazed by Dr. Sandell! With his brilliant mind and clever wit, he not only challenges your intellect but also ensures you take responsibility for your academic endeavors. Show up to class, actively participate, and when it comes to your final paper, choose a topic that ignites your passion.
Do not take him. He makes up his own criteria for grading papers that will not match anything you learned in high school, AP classes, or from other TCU courses. When you lose points, there will be no explanation as to why. If you want to get your grade up, change your writing style entirely because there is no way of knowing how to improve.
He uses every class to test you on whether you have read the readings assigned for the week and teaches nothing new. Each week, there's 40 pages of readings (in 12-point font) of convoluted anthropological papers (I'm not kidding) and then 10 pages of your notes on them + answers to his questions. Value your mental health and just don't take him.
He is extremely passionate about anthropology, but hard to follow along in his lectures. You will read A LOT. Generous with extra credit on tests. Go to office hours to build personal connection with him, it will benefit you and your grade. Engage in class as he is a tough professor.
The reading is a lot but the content is always interesting making it generally easy if you plan accordingly. If you skip the reading you will greatly struggle on the tests. Sandell is caring and his tests are easy if you read and pay attention to his interactive lectures. He makes test expectations clear and easy. Would definitely recommend!
Great person to talk to outside of class. He was super kind and good about meeting you to discuss class assignments or exams. He does assume a few things and that was not my favorite. He grades kinda hard, and you need to pay attention to pass the class. But, he is a good professor just not a good grader.
It's a lot to manage. If you are not sincerely interested in Anthropology, take another professor. I did make an A but it was extremely difficult to handle with the other courses I took this semester.
Don't do it if you don't have to. Put way too much time for a core class. He is nice professor himself but his class is not worth your mental health.
Dr. Sandell grabs infomation out of thin air. No matter how much you read and how you much study, you will NOT pass his exams. They are the most minute details and random facts. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS - there are other easier cores.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Dr. Sandell is a nice man and all but this class is terrible. A crazy amount of hard reading that is not interesting whatsoever. His midterms are multiple choice but the questions are based on the most small details in the readings. He goes on tangents in class and does not stay on task and it is hard to get participation.
He's actually the worst DONT TAKE THIS CLASS. just lectures, hard grader, hard test
Do not take this class if you have other options. Professor goes out of his way to pick on you. The professor took time from class to give me a hard time.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
44%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
ANTHQUAL
5.0
(1)TRANS055
5.0
(1)ANTHRO201
5.0
(1)ANTH40433
5.0
(2)ANTH206
4.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
ANTHR2062
5.0
ANTH050
5.0
ANTH4423
5.0
ANTHMXAM
5.0
ANTHR3033
5.0