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Impossible not to make an A in his classes-he tells you what you exactly what you need to know. Also gives incredibly simple extra credit on exams. Take ANY of his classes! He's just amazingly easy.

great professor, easy easy easy

Professor is very interesting. He relates terms to the real world and doesn't want to babysit the class into paying attention. You get what you make out of the class.

I actually took two of his courses this year, one lower and one upper level. He's a great professor. The class itself is what you make it. Tests come mostly from lectures and you can contest a wrong answer.

Took his field study course in belize, I'm from umass but I just had to say how much of a great guy he is! So helpful and witty. Seconds!

Dr. Valdez rewards attendance to his class by very clearly outlining what will be on the test. Very relaxed class that often got out early. Definitely an easy A for a science class and learned interesting revelations and applications about anthropology though it never interested me before. Pretty cool guy

Dr. Valdez is funny, witty, and overall amazing. His classes are so interesting, and the tests are super easy as long as you go to class. The stories he tells about his experience as an archaeologist are awesome. One of the best professors I've ever had.

Valdez is witty, interesting, and gives great anecdotes! He is very clear about what is on the test and will repeat things that will show up on them. So just go and listen to class. 5 test and you can drop one, & no daily work. He makes the class fun and interesting, so take it.

I've had Fred for 2 classes at my time at UT and they have been the highest grades i've made here. Lectures are extremely straight forward, the books over-lap but are important. His tests are SO EASY! It's an easy A if you take good notes and do the readings. He's also the nicest person ever, really knows his stuff.

Lectures get kind of boring if you're sleepy but aside from that, very charismatic teacher. He is very clear in what is on the test and that's not something you come by often.

Professor Valdez has a unique style of dry humor about him. When it comes to his tests, he will give you the pages to pay close attention to and also makes sure you know if something will be on the test by expressly stating it as such. He isn't very animated with his movements so it can seem a bit boring. But if you pay attention, you'll have fun.

He is a chill professor. The class is extremely easy. 4 tests. All are basically based on his lectures so DO NOT SKIP his class. I haven't touched the book also you can find summaries of the subsections from the chapters online. If you need a science credit, take ANT 304 with him!

I was a fool and took this at 8 a.m. and kept missing class. Make sure you don't skip any classes or else you will not make a good grade. I wouldn't even suggest buying the book, I never really used it. Tests are based on lectures and he'll even tell you during a lecture what might be a question on the test. Very easy class and very good professor.

I'm not an Anthropology major and I took this for my science credit, but I really enjoyed his lectures and learned a lot in his class! Fred is extremely generous about his test grading, so you won't have to worry about failing the class or anything. It was really easy to get an A so take him!

If you want an easy A, you've come to the right place. Your entire grade comes from 5 tests, of which the lowest is dropped, and showing up to labs every week. His lectures are straightforward, he plays no tricks on test questions, and he even gives out 4-5 test questions during lectures. Dr. Valdez himself is great, and his class is enjoyable.

There are 5 tests, you can drop 1, and the rest are equal to 90% of your grade. The rest of the grade is for showing up to labs. Lectures can be dry but so are bones and archaeology in general so. He has been teaching for a long time and is very respected. Textbook use seems intimidating at first but he always consolidates the original assignments

He is great! Easy A if you pay attention in class! 5 exams (drop the lowest one) is 90% and lab is 10% (you will get full credit for lab if you attend lab every time). If your average grade is above A after the 4th exam, you will directly get an A and don't need to come to class to take the final. He is very nice and passionate!

Great professor, lectures are good and useful. He even lets you out ten minutes early on most days. The test themselves aren't difficult if you really study: take GOOD notes and attend the discussion sections. Discussion sections r usually just videos and documentaries but content in the videos WILL be on the tests. Reading the textbook also useful

Dr. Valdez is a great professor, I took this course to get rid of a requirement for my degree but I've enjoyed it so much. Learning about the Maya is so great and fascinating! He is a great lecturer, shows a lot of films, and his tests are very doable& fair. He's available to you if you need any help! Just pay attention to his lecture and read! :)

One of the most straightforward courses I've taken at UT. Dr Valdez is pretty chill, and literally mentions what is going to appear on the tests. Takes notes during class, most of what appears on the tests is said during lectures. No trick questions on the tests, and overall an easy A if you put in a little effort.

Professor Valdez is awesome. Easy class and interesting material. He has a great sense of humor during lectures. Tests are based almost completely on lectures so you just have to write down essentially everything he says in lecture and you'll be fine. He goes slowly so it's not hard at all. Readings helped a bit. Would recommend this class!

Easiest class. There are four test and an optional fifth. All you need to do is show up to class and he gives out questions. Is also funny in a sarcastic sort of way.

I absolutely loved this course! I took it as part of my major requirements, as I am an anthropology major. Professor Valdez has a great sense of humor, and he is very educated on the subject matter at hand. He was also great at explaining the content of the course, so it was not hard to understand even if you had no background in the subject.

Prof Valdez is respected in the Anthro department. He usually does lectures without powerpoint slides, which I felt could have aided with the presentation of the material. His lower division archaeology class doesn't involve much class participation, but if you need it for a requirement, it is a solid choice. He is very receptive in office hours.

Seriously the chillest teacher at UT. Easy A for ANT 304. Hes a good ole boy and lectures are interesting too

Valdez does a great job of teaching the course, and he respects your time. There are 5 tests in the year, out of which he takes the highest 4 for your grade. No homework, no midterm, no final. Show up and take good lecture notes and you won't have to read (if he doesn't say something in lecture, he'll give points back on tests). Excellent prof!

Super cool guy! Professor Valdez is super intelligent and all he cares about is that his students pass with a good grade. I totally recommend :)

It's important to take good notes during lecture because he will definitely highlight things he wants you to know for the tests. He also lets you argue for points back after you get tests back if you can give a plausible reason based on what he taught or the textbook. Labs are purely attendance based. A very manageable amount of reading is assigned

Valdez was one of my first professors at UT. He made his class pretty interesting despite the incredibly boring subject. The class is based off 5 exams with the lowest one dropped. This is a great class for a science credit and GPA booster, definitely recommend it. He also lets you argue for points when you get your multiple choice exams back.

There are 5 exams and you can drop one of them. The exams are from the material Professor Valdez talked in class. Definitely recommend to take his class.

Fred Valdez is an understanding and outstanding professor. One exam gets drop and the exams themselves are easy and rely heavily from the lectures. Lectures are optional but that's basically the class. Labs were easy, we watched movies for this semester but the TA would get upset if you feel asleep. I learned a lot and the grading was fair.

Dr. Valdez is an exceptional prof. 5 easy tests with the lowest scored exam dropped (he also lets you argue points on each exam). Lecture attendance is not mandatory, but it is for discussion sections which are very easy but very boring. He was a very interesting prof. and gives engaging lectures. Would highly recommend!

Grade based off 5 tests with one drop test. The A requirement was a 91.01, so it wasnt too hard to get the A. Tests were fairly easy and based from the lectures. Valdez is also a good lecturer and makes all content clear. Labs were also participation so you just had to show up and do whatever the TA has planned.

Y'all. Dr. Valdez is seriously the nicest professor ever and he truly cares about your success. He helps you in office hours and even lets you fight for credit on test back if you simply just talk to him! TAKE HIM.

Prof Valdez is literally the easiest professor at UT. Never have I taken such a chill class. I never showed up to class and just got the lecture notes from someone else. Ended with a solid A. Take his class if you need a science & tech or behavioral science credit!!!

Truly an excellent professor that is knowledgeable about the subject he teaches. However, this is an easy A class and it is treated as such by Valdez and the TAs. I would caution against taking this class if you are passionate about the subject and want to study it in-depth.

If you are going to take ANT304 take it with Dr. Valdez! The class was made up of four exams, which were really simple if you just attend lectures and read the specific textbook pages he mentions. I've heard this is the best ANT304 class, I did not need to prioritize it too much but I still learned a lot and really liked my professor and TA.

Love this guy. He uses emojis in emails. Very down to earth and caring. His materials aren't hard at all, stress-free, and final is optional. If you think you should get partial credit on a question just email him and explain your thoughts, he gives points back very easily. I wish all profs are like him.

There are about 5 exams (one optional if your grade is good enough to skip it) and a few (REALLY easy) labs. The exams rely on the textbook and lectures but if you just read and understand them, then the exams are super easy. If you don't do well, he drops the lowest exam anyway. This class is super easy and not that time-consuming.

Valdez in ANT 304 was great. Definitely recommend this course to fill one of your science credits. Textbook is necessary because a few of the test questions (open note) come from it and it has answers to some of the labs. Lectures were straight forward and easy to understand!

professor valdez was great! i really wish i had him in person, but he made class extremely easy. definitely recommend!! you need the textbook, but overall, probably one of the easiest and most interesting classes ive taken.

Tests are straight off of the lectures and are worth 80% of your final grade. The other 20% are simple labs that take around 30 min every week. If you need any help, do not be afraid to send Prof Valdez any question, he answers almost immediately and is always happy to help. Just wish I could've met him in person.

Great class to take as a science credit! The labs are posted with the key, and are 20%. 5 tests make up 80%, but you are exempt from the 5th if satisfied with your grade. You have to purchase the textbook, but the exam has a lot of questions that are verbatim from it. The online (asynchronous) format allowed for CTRL+F, so that was a blessing!

GREAT PROF! Makes it SO clear from the beginning what is expected. 6 easy "Labs" and he posts the answer keys. Tests are available to take in a pretermined time frame and you can use notes. All you need to do is listen to the lectures, write down the terms on the word doc he gives you, and you're good. Also, Fred is so nice and pleasant. recommend!

Honestly if you put a good amount of effort into this class you will get an A. Prof. Valdez is a really good lecturer, and seems like he cares a lot about his students. This class was super straightforward, I actually learned some interesting things despite it being asynchronous. Great class, I wish I could've had it in person.

Dr. Valdez was an amazing professor. His lectures were always really interesting! Plus he's funny! You need to go to lectures and take good notes because that is basically all that is on the test. If you take good notes you will definitely do good on the exams. He also really cares about helping his students do better, he wants you to get an A!

Prof. Valdez genuinely wants students to succeed! Just do the labs, pay attention to the lectures, and take good notes, and you'll likely get an A. I def recommend joining his office hours even if you're minimally interested in archeology. He has a good sense of humor and a lot of great knowledge to share!

I loved this course! Dr. Valdez was great, lectures were straight to the point and interesting. Valdez really prepares students well for the exam. If you go to the lecture and take notes you'll pass! Take this course, it's really interesting and enjoyable. I learned a lot and it wasn't difficult at all.

This class is basically a guaranteed A. Tests are online and open everything. Questions are straight from the book, literally copy and paste. You could attend 0 classes and end the semester with 100%. Definitely take this class to knock out a science or business requirement.

There were a total of 5 exams (last one is exemptible if you are satisfied with your grade). Around 6 labs too, which were easy to do. Lectures with him in person were pretty funny. Exams are straight to the point and OPEN NOTE. They are m/c and t/f. Totally recommend Valdez! He was super nice and funny! Do your work and you'll easily pass!!

Easy science credit, tests are all online, but lectures are super boring.

Because of COVID, the class was structured so that labs and some lectures were online, although lectures were also given in-class. As long as you listen to the lectures or go to class, you'll be fine! Making an A is really really easy and the lectures are interesting. There's a textbook that's required but the readings are interesting too.

Easiest class of my entire life tbh. Prof Valdez is the literal GOAT. Makes it EXTREMELY easy to get an A. If you can take him, TAKE HIM. 5 multiple choice tests (drops lowest so really 4) that are extremely easy, and some random labs. Just get his textbook and everything u need for the whole class is there. He wants u to get an A.

Professor Valdez is a super caring guy, and his material is genuinely interesting. He doesn't do slides or homework, so take really good notes and read the textbook. His TAs are also cool as well, they all want you to do well and enjoy the content

Professor Valdez is the best! No lecture attendance required (but I always went because he was so sweet), MCQ tests that are pretty much straight from lecture/the textbook that he wrote, and you can petition if you miss any test questions. Just go to labs and you'll be good! 10/10 would recommend.

- Class is not mandatory, you can even technically skip all the lectures and still ace the exams if you read his self-written textbook (basically the class notes) - what i did - If you attend class, he's hilarious and has many stories, highly recommend (if you can wake up in time for his class - Take for an easy science credit! - Great person:)

Easiest class I have ever taken. Only attendance mandatory is the labs and they are extremely easy. The tests are very straightforward and all online. Free A+ for anyone who needs a science credit.

Professor Valdez's ANT 304 was an super easy class. Grade consists of tests, which are open-note, and labs, which are easy to complete when you attend the lab sessions. Professor also seems like a chill person who loves what he teaches. Would recommend taking this class for credit.

A must-take if you are looking for credit. Super easy class and Professor Valdez is absolutely amazing. The grade is based off tests and labs only. Attendance is only mandatory for labs, not class. Only negative is that there is no visual aid for the lectures. However, if you have the textbook, the lectures correspond directly to the text.

The class is INCREDIBLY easy and hard to fail. 80% tests and 20% labs, but missing 3+ labs without an excuse will cause you to automatically fail. Do not skip labs! There are 5 tests, but he drops the lowest one. Every test is open note, open resource, open people. Easy labs, easy work. Just pay attention in lecture/get the book. Take this class!

This is the easiest class I have taken at UT. Prof is amazing and gives extra credit if you just show up. The tests are online and not proctored, most of the test answers are in the textbook, or he gives the test answers in the lecture. Attendance is optional but he gives extra credit if you go, plus he gives test answers during the lecture.

Take this class if you need a science credit!! I only showed up to one lecture all year and got a 100. He's a funny professor who knows his subject material really well. The only downside is labs are mandatory, but they are only 45 mins once a week and they are basically guaranteed 100s. Trust me, take this class.

Professor Valdez ANT 304 is a must take for a science credit and/or a GC flag. Attendance is not mandatory and the test are very straightforward. This is an easy and enjoyable A.

I love Dr. Valdez so much. Studied with him on his field school in Belize and highly recommend if you want to learn more about Mayan Archaeology. He has the best grad students too! Also took his intro the archaeology and adored him. One of the funniest professors I have met and is super passionate about what he does and loves to share it!

Professor Valdez taught a straightfoward & interesting class. TA's were accessable and actually wanted to help you. Tests were closed book, but as long as you read the chapters of the free textbook and looked at the study guide, you'll be sure to pass. Labs were engaging and fun. Would recommended for non-stem majors who need a science core.

Prof. Valdez is a great lecturer. His lectures are nearly identical to chapters in the textbook for ANT304, so if you ever miss class you can always go back and read. There are 5 tests in total, but they are not difficult if you read the chapters or make quizlets. I would highly recommend taking his class.

Prof. Valdez is a straightforward and intelligent lecturer. His tests are no longer open-book though, so you will need to attend lectures and read the textbook chapters to pass. I'd say the only challenging aspect of the class is that tests are worth 80% and labs 20%. As long as you prepare well for the tests and don't miss labs, you'll do fine.

Interesting, straightforward lectures that are not mandatory but I highly suggest attending as he gives many answers for exam questions in class. Exams are easy as long as you put in a little effort to knowing the concepts! Labs are occasionally more difficult, but the TAs are very helpful. This class is a great choice if you need a science credit!

I never went to class besides the first day and when he gave tests back- He even barely came. All questions on the tests are from the book, except for a few, but he'll give you points back on what you miss. TALK TO HIM AFTER GETTING TESTS BACK, he's given me full credit back on every one. You can find some test questions on quizlet. 10/10 class

Dr. Valdez is so sweet! Lectures aren't mandatory, and most of the information on the exams are from his textbook. The lab for this class is also super easy.

Attendance at lectures is not mandatory but recommended. You can get good grades on tests without going to class by reading the textbook, but he is more accommodating to those who wish to challenge their grade/get points back if you come to class. The grading is very test-heavy but go to all the labs to balance it out.

If you are looking for a science credit, choose this one! tests are no longer online, but easy and most of the questions are straight from textbook and the TA's make study guides. Labs can be hard, but are only 20% of your grade, and finding a buddy helps! If you miss points, he lets you get points back. lectures are interesting and he is so sweet!

This was the best and easiest science credit I could ever ask for. Professor Valdez is a great lecturer, and if you show up to class and the lab, you will get an A+. This class was interesting and he is a great lecturer. Take him if you need a science credit

If you need a non-science credit class, take this class very interesting on the lettuces. The labs are mandatory so do not miss those and you should be find.

Attendance for lecture is not required but he will give hints about whats on the test during his lectures. Lab attendance is required, but the labs are fairly easy and super fun. Dr. Valdez is, maybe, the best professor at UT, and I would take his class again in a heartbeat.

Favorite man on planet Earth. Took two classes with him and will be going on his field school to Belize this summer for Mayan archaeology. Would trust him with my life, social security number, and firstborn. Funny, experienced, and a genuinely good person. If you do one thing at UT, it should be taking a class with him!

Professor Valdez is an incredible professor and human being. He has great lectures (they are not mandatory) and gives answers to the test in class. The only downside to the class is the mandatory attendance for the labs but they are usually very straight forward. If you miss questions on the test you can go to his office hours to get points back.

Dr. Valdez is awesome however, the labs are worth a good portion of your grade and getting a good TA really matters.

Dr. Valdez is a great lecturer, AND his lectures are not attendance mandatory. Beware labs are worth half of your grade and attendance is mandatory for them. They can either be great or horrible depending on your TA, but the other half of the grade is tests, and he essentially gives test answers in lecture, go to class and lab, take notes= easy A

Dr. Valdez was great. Lecture attendance is not mandatory, but if you want to have an easy time on the exams, attend them. The most difficult thing about this class was the labs. The homework was ambiguous which made it difficult. Grading took forever and the exams were often graded wrong so make sure you double-check them after they are graded!!

Fred is awesome! This is a great class for human behaviors credit and global cultures/cultural diversity flag! Attendance is not mandatory; however, sometimes, he gives some of the questions that will be on the exam within the class. Make sure to READ THE TEXTBOOK, it is very brief and clear on what you should know for exam.

Lectures were somewhat interesting. Professor Valdez reads straight from his textbook so either attending the lectures or buying the textbook will be enough to get an A on the tests. Labs are sometimes difficult but the TA was really nice and helpful. Take this class if you want an easy A.

This class is easy to get an A in. There are exams that are open note and you can take them from your bed; he drops the lowest score. Lectures and exams are almost verbatim to textbook.The topic itself is interesting and this is an easy A class, if you at all find archaeology interesting. The TAs on the other hand? They're a whole 'nother story.

It's possible to get an A without buying the textbook, but you'll have to attend his lectures to learn the material instead. Overall a great guy, easy to reach out to outside of class. The labs can be tedious, but they're worth a very small percentage of your overall grade.

Labs are necessary, if you miss 3 you automatically fail the course. The exams are elementary and there are a lot of Quizlets for them. If you choose not to buy the textbook, which Valdez wrote, you need to go to lectures.

Class only had weekly labs and exams. I liked the lectures and the exams were super easy but the labs were downright dreadful. Liked the professor though and the class was super interesting!

Prof Valdez is super chill and gives solid lectures. Labs are mandatory and they suck, especially if you don't have a great TA, but they're not horrible. Only graded on tests (that are super easy if you take notes) and lab assignments. If you take notes in lecture you don't need to read the textbook, I never did and got an A.

TAKE IT! So easy and straight foward. Everything he lectures about is in his textbook. You can not go to lecture and still get all the same info from reading the textbook for the online tests (that you take at home or in library). Super easy and he loves what he teaches and is super straight foward with what information you need to know.

Professor Valdez was great! If you can take this class with friends I highly recommend it. He was easygoing and was nice to talk to. I would definitely recommend taking this class, especially if you need to kill to birds with one stone and get a science credit and a language culture credit.

Easiest science credit I've ever taken. Grade is comprised of 5 tests (lowest test grade dropped) and weekly labs. Labs are harder than lecture content though.

easy easy class! valdez left half way through the semester, but the time he was in class was so enjoyable. he is so passionate about the topics and is very understanding with grading (just go to office hours!!) would recommend to anyone!!

This class is pretty straightforward. There are 5 tests worth 80% of your grade but the lowest is dropped so if you do well enough on the first 4 you don't have to take the last one. They're open note, not cumulative, and online so not too bad. Lectures are optional but labs are mandatory so make sure you pick a good lab time.

go to lab!! lab is the only participation that really matters, but it matters a lot!! prof is very nice and passionate about what he does.

my favorite class this sem! lectures are enjoyable -- go to them! labs are very doable as long as you actually put effort into them and the prelab stuff. exams are simple -- no trick questions + can pull up notes if needed. you can email him and explain your answer for pts back on exams. Incredibly nice and funny guy. I will miss his class!!

Love Valdez. Graded mainly through lab assignments and exams. Exams are easy, take notes on the textbook, and you'll be fine. Lectures are optional, but very interesting! Lab attendance is required, but the TA will give you everything. Valdez is a very knowledgeable guy who's an expert in his field. Go to his office hours and get to know him.

i took this class as my last science credit needed, but missing a few didn't change my experience too much. again, lecture isn't mandatory, but labs are! the labs are very easy and TA dependent. exams are online and can be taken at home. allows for extra points if you talk to him in office hours. didn't "need" the book, so i just used lecture notes

Lecture isn't mandatory, only the labs are. No make up labs or exams, but the lowest exam was dropped. There are a total of 5 exams online that can be taken at home and one required book, but overall not too much reading.