2.5
Quality3.7
Difficulty11%
Would Retake85
Reviews11%
Would Retake
85
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
16
4
11
3
10
2
20
1
28
What Students Say
“Is rude and unapproachable-AVOID HIM”
HIST365 - 1.0 rating“He is an awful professor”
HIST369 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
87%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
HITTO1899
5.0
(1)HIST380
5.0
(1)HIST334
4.3
(4)36901
4.0
(1)CALHIST
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CALHIS
5.0
CHICANOHISTORY
5.0
HISTORIANCRAFT
5.0
HISTORY270
5.0
HIST150
5.0
Reviews (85)
Poorly defined questions, all essay tests...wants the civil war covered in one hour and ten minutes
Does not properly clear up any confusion for exams. Wants you to make connections that have no relation to the subject at hand. Answered every question on exam correct, yet receieved D on paper, because i supposely did not make the connection broad enough.
He maybe hard, but he is an excellent teacher! Most people who judge him do not share his views, but that should not be a determining factor in his evaluation. He has a lot to offer if you just listen!
he mumbles spaztic lectures that often stray off topic, sometimes even leaving his sunglasses on, then expects you to know the subject as well as he does, if you need this class make sure your other are easy, he expects alot and is kind of a jerk.
He never stays on his lecture topic and you have no idea what is going to be on the test or what is expected becuase he jumps around so much. Outside the class room he is better but I still feel like he was talking down to me. If you take this class try someone else!
Frank Barajas spends more time telling the class how to answer his test questions than he does actually teaching the material he tests on. His grading is so harsh that without a PhD in history, it is impossible to meet his standards. He is usually off topic and spends more time talking about himself
NEVER TAKE FRANK. His lectures are boring and not prepared. He assigns 4 differnt books with readings each week and he lectures on what you read ( WORD FOR WORD) his grading is pretty harsh and his teaching personaility is sub par. IF YOU MUST TAKE HIM MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL.
He was probably the worst teacher that I have encountered throughtout my college education. His lectures were word for word what you were assigned to read and because he gets off topic so much, his lectures get pushed behind and he ends up talking about what you read three weeks ago. DONT TAKE!!!!!!
he demeaned students in our class. He told us that since we go to a califonia state university we will not succeed in life. Teachers are supposed to uplift us not bring us down.
He is an excellent professor who cares about his student's learning experience. Anyone who does not agree, is either someone who disagrees with the viewpoints he expresses in class, or is someone who lacks the intellectual capability to pass the class.
yuck...if I were you...i'd take buschmann instead...
He is really nice out of class. Though he has some strong political views, which I agree with, what makes him bad is his inability to teach the subject manner in a clear manner. I felt like some of the time I was being criticized for my lack of knowledge though I was there to really learn.
This class was the worst of my entire life. Do not take this instructor under any circumstance!
He is a good professor and cares about you
I didn't like him at all and he didn't seem like he even wanted to be teaching the class.
Terrible professor, his lectures ramble about unrelated topics and wastes time. I suggest you transfer out asap and find another professor, doesn't matter who just anyone.
ah.. he was sooo confusing...
Just count how many time this man says "ok"
No Comments
"riiiiight" this guy is terrible. If you have any brain in your head, you will drop his class in a SECOND!
even though i failed the class i am still looking forward to taking it again. he is a very inteligent man with a great attitude and point of view. if you are not prepaired for a high level of work truly at a university level then i do not suggest this p
He is a really nice guy. He really cares about his students. I dont know why people dislike him so much is is not a good teacher but he is not a bad teacher either.
No Comments
Great compassionate teacher with a genuine love for the success of his students. A very funny dorkish man but very knowledgeable
RIGHT???!
Good teacher
we had two prof.'s for our class. he mostly sat back and observed the class as the other prof. spoke. But when he did, it was like a machine gun-silent bob gone genius. his knowledge shows as his passion for the subject runs a fine line between lectures and rants
Incredibly passionate for teaching, he cares a great amount about his students. He's understanding and not that hard, he expects a lot but only because he wants you not to be a passive learner. If your not up for a challenge and really using your brain-don't take Franks class. He really is brilliant and funny thought. One of the best I've had.
Great teacher
He really wants to be a good teacher, but that really gets in the way of him actually being one. Don't bother asking for clarity on assignments he will just repeat whatever he put on the instruction sheet...so annoying!
lots of busy work
what a waste of time money & energy... not required for your major? don't take him... shoulda waited until now, when pendleton was teaching...coulda gotten an A+ instead of the C- i got with this teacher... lots of busy work & he doesn't teach a thing... did i say waste of time? yea...i wanted 2 shoot myself every minute i had 2 deal w/ this class
I had no problems with Dr. Barajas. When I needed clarity, I asked. He was responsive to all of my questions whether via email or in person. I enjoyed the interactive element of his class. If you are lazy, don't take his class, but if you like learning and working for your grade, he's a gem.
Really a waste of a class. He is soooo not motivated by his own words that he actually sounds ridiculous. I am a history major and he is by far the worst I have ever had. I am very ambitious, and maybe that is where we clash....
Took Chicano History with Barajas, could have swore we were still in the Chicano movement. Made me as a white student feel very uncomfortable at times. Requires a lot of group discussion and is way to passionate about the subject. Must go to class he always takes roll. If you can get around taking him, do so!
I wanted to take this opportunity to stand up for one of the most positive, encouraging and by far one of the best teachers I have had. He cares about his students. Like responses before you need to earn your grade but that is because he cares. What good is an education if you haven't learned anything?
Dr. Barajas is extremely nice and help. the class is alot of reading and writing. but if you go to class prepared and participate he will appreiciate it. i enjoyed my learning experiance
If I would have known about him before, I would have found a different history teacher. I feel as though he never gets the point across, always goes on tangents that have little to do with what he tests you on, you honestly learn more from the book, which is just as bad as his lectures. He almost treats you like you're in kindergarten again at time
The Historians Craft class almost made me not want to be a history major. Great as a historian not so great as a teacher. I think he has social problems when it comes to interacting with people because he's so awkward sometimes. I only survived the class because of compromising. I didnt learn anything that I didnt know before. Not recommended.
Took him for historians craft. ALOT of work and expects alot from you. He is a bit awkward and doesnt clarify, usually just repeats himself which isnt very helpful. I didnt think he was as bad as others in the class tho, many wont take him again.
Barajas, although difficult and having high expectations, was a rather good professor. I made the mistake of taking him for two classes in the same semester which meant double the work load and stress. I think he sometimes forgets that we have otehr classes besides his. I feel more accomplished however for having been pushed academically.Good luck!
Barajas is a good teacher--it's his methods of teaching that are a bit foreign. He basically gives you an outline of what you are to learn on his PowerPoints and spends a decent amount of the class having students talk (which is optional but encouraged). He expects you to read the chapters to gain a real understanding of the topics. Recommended.
Fairly easy class. One homework assignment per week. Part of the class grade is based on attendance so you'll want to be sure you can go to every lecture. Most of the material he covers in his lectures isn't on his exams. You'll have to read the book to get an A, but you can easily get a B without reading it.
Difficult yet engaging, Prof. Barajas prepares an overall great class.
i took him for historians craft and I learned alot.he is a very caring guy and I enjoyed his class very much.
Horrible teacher I regret not taking initiative and switching to a different professor. Unapproachable to talk to and when he discuss about a topic or question he takes the class on a round trip to get to answer (approx. 10 mins) sure it's detailed but it gets to the point where everyone just gets confused. Switch right away if you get this guy!
He takes his subject way to seriously. Long tangents that dont always answer your question. Broad study guides and specific questions on test.
Any way you cut it this guy is a terrible teacher.
pretty much the worst teacher ever.If ur mexican &come from an immigrant family-ur on his good side. He is def prideful of his heritage.i recommend switching ASAP. Horrible teacher&just plain sucks at teaching. u basically have 2 read the ENTIRE text book and read/write analytical papers. if you hate history-- DO NOT TAKE HIM, IT WILL BE PAINFUL!
AWFUL...that sums Mr. Barajas up! Switch out of the class ASAP! or you WILL regret it!!!
He is bland but he likes history so at least he knows his stuff. I would not recomend taking his three hour class. It does go by slow.
After reading the other ratings, I have to agree that he picks favorites. He likes you if you are Mexican. He does not like non-history majors. He's a bit of a hard ass and will call you out if you're wrong in front of the entire class. Unless you want to risk a bad grade simply for him not agreeing with you, or not liking you, stay away!
One of the worst teachers I have ever had. This guy has some issues.
Probably one of the more harder professors I've had at ci. He expects a lot out of you and if you ask a question can make you feel stupid in the process.
I usually hate history, but Professor Barajas made it interesting. If you keep up with the readings and participate in class you will do great in this class. He even offered extra credit. I loved this class.
He is a pretty good teacher. He definitely does play favorites. He gives a group project and if you do not do so well lets you make it up. 3 test at the most. He really does try to help giving multiple chances for extra credit. One of the better lecture givers at CI. Take it, but be prepared to read the text book for the best grade.
Hes really passionate about the class, the readings are extremely interesting.It opens your minds to ways you hadn't before.Take his class but don't be lazy,After all you are a college student now :D
He is a very helpful teacher if you take advantage of the time he offers for questions. Test are somewhat difficult, but he gives you a study guide and their are no surprises. The group project is actually fun, if you go to his office to talk to him about it a head of time almost guaranteed and A. Overall I like this class and Professor Barajas.
Worst college teacher I have ever had :(
He's a cool professor. he's kinda strict on attendance though. class wasn't hard & i learned a lot. he gives really helpful study guides & not many assignments & ec assignments. you'll pass if you come to class, read & do the few assignments.
gives out assignments, less than 24 hours before they are due. he is nice though, will help you out, grades kind of hard. historians craft is an interestingweird class. would recommend trying it with someone else
Hes a really good teacher and tries to make class funny. His powerpoints are sometimes unclear but he gives a study guide for the tests and the tests are ONLINE.
He is by far the WORST professor I have ever had in 2 1/2 years. He is unclear, goes on rambles unrelated to the lectures. Makes unclear assignments and then puts people on blast for their mistakes. If you state something wrong out loud he will grill you in front of the entire class. Is rude and unapproachable-AVOID HIM.
I think he is an excellent teacher, tough but fair in most regards. He welcomes student opinions in class and openly foster a great discussion environment. Though I think if you like to show up late, not discuss or follow the syllabus. Its probably not for you. As class participation is a key feature which I think helps in learning.
Very passionate about the Chicano cause. Kind of scattered and unclear. Makes you buy his book for class. Calls himself "the boss" in Spanish because he was one of the founding professors.
He is an awful professor. Honestly, the worst I have ever had at CI. He is necessarily rude to students that ask questions or do not understand an assignment and is totally pompous. The class that is supposed to be CA history, focuses only on the Hispanic cultures in CA. It skips over many other important groups of people. Don't take him.
Was a really interesting class, but he isn't your only professor! Beware. Really good lecturer who knows what he wants, great for history majors. Class itself is a mess of contradictions when it comes to grading. Always open for discussion during his office hours.
He is a tough teacher who will make you feel stupid for asking a question. He is all about his Chicano movements when the class was about Civil Rights in general. Also a tough grader, he will tear your paper apart. Would not recommend this class or him in general!
I give him that he knows his material about Civil movements, race and identity. However he is mostly interested in his own work than that of his students. He is not a people person at all and very difficult to talk to when you need his advise. He is very short and seems not to care . He tries to brush you away fast. This is only my opinion.
I got an A on the term paper, but the people complaining on here aren't wrong. He is a tough teacher. He likes it when you participate. Come to class because he remembers who was there and what they said.
His classes are difficult. However, i would much rather go to his class than some other professors on campus with "better" ratings. He is passionate and knowledgeable. If you do the work you will pass and you will learn a lot to top it off.
I went to every single class and till this day know absolutely nothing about the class. His study guides suck completely so it would be better if you just went through the whole coarse again on your own.
Honestly he might be a good teacher for Chicano studies but should not teach history. Everything has to somehow relate to the Chicano community on a daily basis. If he doesn't like your idea or stance on something, he makes it very uncomfortable to speak especially on political issues because you're wrong if you don't think his way.
Very awkward person. If youre not a history major then dont even bother to exist in his class. Id rather stay at CI for another year than to ever get stuck taking one of his classes again
I WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER ONE OF HIS CLASSES. I guess his intentions are good but he is too unapproachable to make a good impact on his students. You spend almost half of the semester just listening to group projects the entire class time that he makes everyone do. So inconsiderate and VERY RUDE. Also, get ready for tough exams.
He is passionate and after that I cannot think of anything really positive to write. He has so much contempt for anyone he perceives as privileged. He made so many inappropriate comments to me because I was shy and quite. In this mans world might is right and the "weak" should be made an example of. Do not take this professor he is awful!
I studied, went to nearly all the classes and still got a low B. Class was taught by two professors. Grading was split between both profs 50/50 and I was in Frank's half. In my essay, he docked off points for facts I literally pulled from the textbook. I settled for a low B rather than approaching him about it, knew I'd lose. He doesn't like MLA.
This guy honestly is something else. He told us a story about being called 'mero mero' aka big boss or something and that was basically how he tries to act. This guy is so full of himself he probably can't eat 3 meals a day. When you ask questions for clarification he's 100% going to get snarky-- meanwhile his canvas is a disorganized mess. BEWARE!
Awful.
Dont do it. This guy is a full-blown Marxist, who is unfathomably lying to his students. Professors like him give the colleges a bad name.
Here is what you will be graded on: Midterm, Oral Assignment, Participation, and Final. All 100 points each and if you fail 1 exam (which you will), you get a C in the class (like myself). He does not offer any feedback on assignments and hates when you are on your computer or phone in class. Just don't take him.
he's very serious
A professor that I would avoid. His lectures can be either interesting or boring. Sometimes he'll tell a funny joke or two. That's the only good thing about him. But beware of his exams, you really need your group to work together and I highly recommend creating a study guide for you and your group for your exam. Thank me later bc his exam are hard
I took this online, long lectures unsurprisingly. Information is delivered in a very dull fashion. Lots of annoying "which is NOT" and "select all that apply" questions in exams. This would not be my first choice for the mandatory history credit.
This guy gives me a headache and was the worst part of my day during this semester. Don't take this class if you typically don't do well in online classes cause his canvas set up SUCKS. Lectures were a snooze fest, and the tests are a huge portion of your grade while also being confusing. Do not let this be your first choice for a history class
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
87%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
HITTO1899
5.0
(1)HIST380
5.0
(1)HIST334
4.3
(4)36901
4.0
(1)CALHIST
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CALHIS
5.0
CHICANOHISTORY
5.0
HISTORIANCRAFT
5.0
HISTORY270
5.0
HIST150
5.0