2.8
Quality3.7
Difficulty42%
Would Retake165
Reviews42%
Would Retake
165
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
27
4
30
3
39
2
38
1
31
What Students Say
“This was easily my least favorite GE course of my entire experience at BYU”
ANTHR101 - 1.0 rating“Reading is 20% of your grade”
ANTHR101 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
14%
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A-
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+0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
ANTHR431
5.0
(3)ANTHR499
5.0
(1)ANTHR490R
5.0
(1)ANTHR442
5.0
(1)ANTH101
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ANTHRO 101
4.0
ANTH101
4.0
ANTHR499
4.0
ANTHR101
3.7
ANTHRO101
3.6
Reviews (165)
Professor Hickman is by far my favorite teacher I've had in college. Amazingly smart, super helpful, and the classes make me LOVE anthropology. I leave every day feeling like I actually learned something. He will also be very available to help you outside of class. There's kind of a lot of reading, but it's all super interesting and useful.TAKE HIM
Had to buy four books, but most of the readings are articles listed on the syllabus. These articles are usually 20-40 pages of extremely dense and difficult material. Personally, they left me utterly uninterested in Anthropology despite my initial optimism. I usually end up just reading to make sure I get a good score but its a chore.
The readings are so full of background and people that you don't know and will never know that reading them gives little to no benefit. Reading is 20% of your grade. One of his main goals is to change the way you think but he also adamantly preaches that you should not try to change the way others think. Go figure. Contradictory. Don't recommend.
Readings are long and confusing and don't always relate to the lecture. Lectures are interesting for the most part if you are really engaged, but sometimes leave you confused. His points aren't always clear and his definitions need definitions. Interesting class as a whole, but time consuming homework wise. Wouldn't take again.
I took this class for a GE and have really regretted it. There are really long and difficult reading assignments every night. I am taking the class now and tonight's homework assignment is to read one chapter from a book, a 40 page article, and ANOTHER 10 page article. It's just ridiculous. The group projects in the class are frustrating as well.
Professor Hickman is teaching this class for the first time. The readings are incredibly confusing and end up being more of just busy work to get a grade rather than enlightening. Lectures are okay. You have to follow carefully or you will get lost. And there is a semester-long group project. Basically overwhelming and takes my interest out of it.
An engaging and charismatic professor. He is passionate about his work and hopes you are too. The Class is easy but the readings can be boring. Easy A if you do the work. The topics are fascinating and invite discussion. I would recommend him for this class.
Really boring lectures. No tests. The class is based off of papers, projects, reading assignment scores, and miscellaneous assignments.
Unclear lectures yet interesting subject material in isolation.
I took this class for a GE credit because I thought it would be interesting. The problem is that the professor expects us to really appreciate and understand deep anthropological concepts. The reading is quite dense and there is A LOT. There is just too much and it is very advanced, so reading becomes a chore. The lectures are hard to follow.
He gives annoyingly long readings that make absolutely no sense. If you do not pay attention you will not understand what he is saying in lecture. Plus he never fully answers your questions. He will address it but then respond with another question. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I used to be an Anthropology major and this class changed my mind.
One of the worst classes I've taken at BYU. Long, boring lectures that are hard to follow, 40+ page readings three times a week, and a semester long group project. Yuck. Hickman is enthusiastic and passionate about what he's teaching, but wouldn't recommend for a GE credit.
This class is very idealistic. He knows a ton, but he doesn't communicate it very well. Some interesting discussion in lab, but overall, a boring and time eating class. The work isn't hard, just long, and the readings are ridiculous.
Honestly this class was great, there was a lot of reading but it was fine & he was very fair about how we were graded. Loved the TA I had he's was very helpful & I think the rest would be as well. Defiantly recommend this class!! :)
One of the most boring classesI've ever taken. While HIckman does have a real passion for the subject, he drones on and on in class. You have to buy like 5 textbooks, and you read out of them all very frequently. There are no tests or in class quizzes, but he makes you click in reading scores every day. There is a large group project.
I was stoked for this class. HUGE let down. Most time consuming class I have ever taken. Lectures are exactly that, an hour of straight lecturing on deep concepts. If you are an Anthropology Major Senior, you might understand the class. Most work I've ever had for a class and very confusing. Do NOT recommend the class for anyone. Tons of Work.
I will give you everything you need to know about this course in just four words. Culture cannot be defined. He just approaches this topic from different social factors such as race, religion, geography, etc. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his topic. However, the Lectures tend to get confusing and monotonous. Very easy A though.
He's teaching something that he's very passionate about, but it's so one-sided and vague you won't learn anything. He expects you to come to class already knowing the basics of Anthropology, which is weird considering that's what he's supposed to be teaching. Learning only about Hmong culture is ok, but it's not what I signed up to learn. Bad prof.
This class is really interesting. Though sometimes the reading assignments are long and boring, they make you see things differently. The lectures are interesting and the weekly labs are the highlight of my week. This class helped me realize that Anthropology is necessary for any career you want to pursue.
Dr. Hickman knows his stuff, so if you want to keep up, do your work. He's definitely one hot professor. He makes anthropology attractive. I have a newer and deeper appreciation for the subject. I highly recommend taking this class from Dr. Hickman! But be careful, you won't want to take classes from anyone else after you've had Dr. Hickman!
Jacob (he likes to be on a first name basis legit) is one of those rare professors that doesn't want you to just show up for class and do a checklist of things to get an A (or fail). He wants you to think for yourself and that's going to be way more valuable than a letter grade and a check mark on your way to graduation. Thanks for teaching me.
Dr. Hickman is very passionate about his subject and really wants his students to understand how to learn about and understand other people, something I think a lot of students really need to learn. The lectures are fascinating and lab is discussion based so its much more engaging. If you open yourself to other opinions, this is a great class
Dr. Hickman is a great teacher, he opened my eyes to so many things I wasn't aware of. After taking this class, I am now minoring in anthropology because he showed me the beauty of it. Yeah there is lot of reading, but it's interesting. Plus, when is anything good in life easy? I'd take this class again in a heartbeat and am going to miss it.
This is a good class but the lectures are very boring and the overabundance of dull readings will put you to sleep. It was interesting topics but it was hard to focus, this class put me to sleep.
I have tried really hard to understand this course material, but I can honestly say I don't feel like I've learned anything in this class. The lectures are long and boring, and get ready for some super long readings that you're graded on. It is sometimes up to 70-80 pages for only 5 points in the class. He is just very vague and unhelpful.
Not really a good class if you're looking to learn something. Lots of vague topics but you never really understand anything deeps. 7 essay through the semester, 3 will miscellaneous assignment you have to complete outside class and 1 as a group research project with hours of interviews. Labs not that helpful. Very vague. Lectureheadache.
This was easily my least favorite GE course of my entire experience at BYU. I have taken 300 and 400 level courses and understand that these are high intense courses, I certainly don't expect an Anthropology 101 course to take up the same amount of time. The reading and assignments were excessive and the lectures were not beneficial. DO NOT TAKE.
Dr. Hickman makes the concepts much more complicated than they need to be, if they didn't come naturally to me I'd feel sunk. The questions that result from his attempts to explain show that he doesn't get across. His readings are much denser than they need to be to accomplish his tasks. Take with someone else if possible, not worth going through.
I found Anthropology to be an interesting subject, but one I REALLY had to focus to comprehend. Dr. Hcikman is new to teaching the class, given a couple of years I think it will be less confusing and more organized. I felt that the majority of the time the class wouldn't ask questions because they couldn't even think of what question to ask.
I actually really enjoyed this class. It helped me to understand so much about culture and has helped me understand the world as a whole better. I would definitely recommend this class to everyone because what you learn is applicable to every field of work. Tons of reading though. About 40-60 pgs for each class. But just read it and you get credit.
Dr. Hickman has been one of my favorite professors because he's very passionate about what he's talking about. I left his lecture every day with my mind blown. If you're willing to step outside your comfort zone a little and look at the world from another point of view, I would DEFINITELY consider this class. Tons of reading but great class!
There is A LOT of reading and homework for this class. I would advise you to take a different GE if you can. Hickman's class is way more work than it's worth. It's easy to get a good grade if you do your homework, but, unfortunately, it's a ton of work.
Professor Hickman really opened my mind to what we call "normal." The class makes you look at different cultures in ways that you probably haven't looked before. Long, tedious readings every night, but there are no tests for this class. A group project is a huge part of your grade, so if you're shy it might be hard. Otherwise this class was easy.
His lectures are long and confusing. He assigns ridiculously long readings every night that are difficult to comprehend.
I worked hard and got an A. But I advise you not to take this class. Expect 30-40 pgs/day, which isn't terrible - but it is intense, confusing anthropological thinking, and is not explained clearly in class. I felt that he was trying to erase the realty of commandments with regards to culture. Sadly, he honestly made me dislike this study field. :(
According to Dr. Hickman 1+1 only equals 2 if that is what your culture believes-there is no absolute. If you think that 1+12 than this class isn't for you. Readings are insane.
Unfortunately I really hated this class and I don't say that often because I love almost everything. I felt like my time was wasted because we talked about basically the same thing the whole semester and never really arrived at any definitive conclusion which really demotivated me to care much about it. Reading content and amount was overbearing.
I think I am now more aware about culture and its importance after having this class, but other than that I don't think I learned much of anything else. The group project was surprisingly fun. Expect long readings that really make no sense and are hardly discussed in class.
This was a hard class for me. Lot of reading that I did not make sense to me. You can tell that Professor Hickman is passionate about this subject but he does not make it simple so that people who are new or not so passionate about anthropology can understand.
Dr. Hickman knows his stuff, but he's more worried about telling us how great he is than teaching us. Spent 2 months trying to define the word "culture". His lectures went around in circles. If you didn't get lucky and have a good TA, class would have been ridiculously hard to pass.
An entry level class and a professor that genuinely cares? You've found it with Professor Hickman! Lectures and readings can be long and dragging, but this class will expand your mind and it's way easy to get an A since all you have to do is do the homework readings and papers, no tests-yay, best way to learn about anthropology!
Dr. Hickman is a nice man and he really cares about Anthropology. Readings take up to 15 hours/week and many are written by Anthropologists who don't seem to have a thesis or evidence, they just repeat themselves. Tried to have him give us reading questions to guide us but he wouldn't. Stopped listening during lectures/labs to do other homework.
This class-was a struggle. I felt like everyday had the exact same lecture. It wasn't too bad except he assigns about 120 pages to read a week of NONSENSE. Honestly I couldn't tell you a thing I learned form any of the readings the entire semester. He is extremely passionate though! Good teacher just treated us as if we were all Anthro majors.
There are no "tests" in this class but there were quite a few essays. For the final, we were given 6 prompts and had to write an essay on three of them within three hours. I was expecting an easy general, but it gave me more stress than anything. Classes were boring. My TA graded very hard on essays. You have to go to lecture to report reading.
This class was hard to understand, but at the end of the day you definitely learned a lot. I wouldn't take it again, but it was a good class to take. Opened up my view of the world.
Worst group project ever, typed over 40 pages of analysis and observations in one day, because they didn't say how long it needed to be until the day before. Meaningless material with awful readings, all he did was say culture was everything and act like that was hard to understand. Don't take this class.
There were a lot of readings for this class. On average, about forty pages a night. The quizzes given in class were pretty hard. It was an interesting class, but I was born a lot of the time and dreaded doing the readings. Do not take this class unless you like to do readings.
I don't think this should be an entry level GE. It was hard, confusing, and angering at times. I didn't have time to read the insane amount of readings. If you're an anthropology major, this is a great class for you. If not, you might want to take a different GE.
This class was way too difficult for an introductory course. I spent probably 2 hours a night trying to understand the reading. Maybe I just don't have the capability to "think anthropologically", but even then, I feel like this class was just too much for a GE. Unless you are an anthropology major, do not take this class.
READING. Every night. Some of it is useful and good, but it can get REALLY long and dry at times. It's a super interesting class and topic, and the lectures are great, but he overestimates his subject and the course is harder than it needs to be. Three 1500 word essays, and one 2000 group project and 5 hours of field work. Good, but hard.
This class was much too hard for a GE. I admire Hickman's intelligence, but the course material was not concrete, his lectures were all very abstract and I couldn't draw any conclusions from the info. Had to take an incomplete and am still trying to get all my work done from last semester. Only take this if you're 100% sure anthro's your thing.
I have taken a few classes from Jacob, and have learned a lot about life. I am not an anthropology major, but his hands-on teaching style has been fun to interact with. He has pushed me to grow and challenged my assumptions. The classes are hard, but hard is GOOD not bad, he really expects a lot of his students because he believes in them
Although there is a lot of reading in this class, homework is very easy and there are NO tests! TAs are also super helpful. If you are willing to read and participate, this class is great!
Honestly, I got nothing out of this class. He doesn't seem to follow any lesson plan during his lectures and his main goal is to strike up controversy so that a debate happens in class. Assigns way too much reading to complete with a thorough understanding. As for assignments, he gives them but never really tells you what is expected.
This class was definitely harder and more complex than I thought it would be. There is a TON of reading for this class. Professor Hickman is very passionate about his field, so his lectures were bearable, but not very entertaining. Anthropology isn't for the faint of heart. If it's not required for your major, don't bother with it.
There is a LOT of reading. I read more for this class than in my American Heritage class. A lot of the time the reading doesn't necessarily make sense as to why you read it. Hickman seems liberal in some of his arguments and most of the time it isn't clear what we are even studying. What the heck is the purpose of this class?
He really likes to talk and uses big words. I feel like sometimes he cares less about teaching (leaving it to the TAs) and more about looking smart. He knows his field well but talks about and has you read a TON of stuff that is not super relevant. The class is really interesting sometimes but mostly pretty bland. You read a ridiculous amount.
I honestly feel like anthropology had a lot of potential to be super interesting, but Hickman ruined it for me. I learned next to nothing, and only went for the attendance. He constantly drones on and on, and I never knew how any of it related, or what on earth he expected us to know. Also, the readings were insane and unreasonably long.
Professor Hickman know's a lot about anthropology, he just explains it in a confusing and unnecessarily complicated way. My TA saved me in this class.
For the two GE classes that it will cover, I think it's worth it. Probably one of the more interesting classes I've had. He'll make you work for it no doubt, but it really opens your mind up. Come with an open mind and be prepared to really throw some effort into learning the material and you'll be fine.
He is very passionate about his subject. I feel like one of the main purposes of his class is to convince the class to believe in relativism (that no one point of view has absolute truth, and that all points of view are separate but equal). I did not agree with everything that he taught, but it was interesting. You have to read a lot.
This class is the worst. This is an entry level general education course that he treats like a 400 level course. The readings are ridiculous and make NO SENSE. There is way too much work than there should be- sometimes 100 page readings every night. A project or paper is due nearly every week, and quizzes every single class. Don't take this!!!!!!!!
He assigned a ton of reading, and his lectures are rarely interesting. It is hard to get an A in his class and he expects a lot for this class being a GE.
The class is worth 2 GE credits so he'll definitely make you work for it. Some of the material is a bit more deep so ask you TA of you have qurstioms. He picks really good ones. His goal is to make you think more anthropologically. Personally I liked it a lot and the ones that didn't line it were the ones that didn't listen in class or tuned it out
Jacob is great. His class was really interesting, and he's real passionate about the topic. There was a TON of reading, so don't take this class with a heavy schedule. If I could go back I would have probably taken an easier class to fulfill the GE credit.. But I did generally enjoy the class and come away with a new perspective.
This class was terrible, First off you have quizzes every day about one tiny detail out of at least 45 pages of reading. Second you will write a lot of papers and do a lot more work than necessary. Third his lectures are boring. Don't take this class! Overall just a bad teacher and more homework than my chemistry 105 and 106 classes. Choose wisely!
Reading quizzes every single class period and a huge project due at the end of the semester. Very liberal, very opinionated, very anti American
Be ready to be CONFUSED. He NEVER talks about anything concrete and by the end of the semester I had no idea what I was supposed to have learned except apparently all cultural practices are ok (EVEN NEGATIVE ONES). His type of thinking can literally justify anything. I respect him, but I didn't agree with most of what he said.
Ironically he taught a lot about respecting and valuing practices and customs of other cultures but has a VERY negative view of American culture. In each of his lectures he starts out by refuting POVS that he doesn't agree with under the guise of "everyone's opinions being valid." Some of the readings were super good, others annoyingly pretentious
For an introductory course, there were WAY too many technical readings. Hoped the course would focus on case studies but majority of the readings/lectures were theoretical. Long, repetitive lectures and mandatory attendance for daily quiz over readings. Only redeeming part was the ethnographic project. Don't take if your major isn't Anthropology.
DONT TAKE THIS CLASS unless you want to do the folowing for just 3 lousy GE credits: read 5 books, more that 1000 pages of anthropologic literature (literally huge scripts of long, technical-looking words that mean nothing), lots of large papers, a project that will take 12+ hours to complete, and final exam that you wont be told what will be on it
The lectures are really long and hard to follow. Professor Hickman is very passionate and cares about the subject but he can get carried away. The problem is that even when you think you know what is going on, your essays are graded as though you are an anthro major. The reading is too long and terrible. It was a chore to get through it by class.
Professor Hickman's class was extremely interesting and led me to consider anthropology as a major. The concepts in the class make sense and have everything to do with the many papers written over the semester. There are lots of readings assigned (probably the most challenging part of the class) and there are quizzes each day on them in class.
This class literally changed my life. The professor is really passionate about his subject. This made class entertaining, and luckily the topic is one that keeps you interested. I think everyone needs to take this class! There is a lot of reading and always one iClicker question to go with it. Easy A, if you are willing to read.
CLASS COUNTS AS 2 GE CREDS!! There's large amounts of technical reading required, but quizes easy & this class is critical to becoming a better human (and latter day saint) by coming to comprehend how other cultures view the world. Warning: unnecessarily complex terms and concepts are used to boost Hickman's somewhat large ego, but such is academia
Hickman is probably one of my least favorite people. He was not easy to talk to, & also not very kind. There was way too much work & reading for this class. The lectures are also super boring. I literally only went to class for the quiz, & had to learn on my own to get the grade I did. I was just glad when this class finally ended.
Hickman's 101 class was super cool. It's hard to say "he helps you appreciate other cultures", because it's way broader and bigger than that. If you follow along with the course, by the end you realize just how deep cultural difference can go. This class helped me have an open mind in so many ways. Even though he can get a bit wordy sometimes haha
Ok, so some of the readings were a little tough. But if you LISTEN to him in lecture and talk to the TA's you'll get the main point, and that's all that matters for the papers. A bunch of people said it was hard, but this is college guys get over it. If you take note's you'll do fine. I'm glad he treated us with intelligence and respect.
We actually used all of the book we bought, and had lots of pdf readings that were free online. This class taught me how to write about something complicated. Overall it was well worth my time and money and helped my college career. Most classes were interesting and had lots of places where we could ask questions, which is impressive in a big class
WAY to much reading for only 5 points a day. No tests but complicated papers. Final was timed written essays. Very smart and passionate. I would attend a presentation but as a professor it was way to much work for a 101 class. He really needs to trim things down. I would not recommend him due to the stress level of this class.
I am an anthropology major. and was really excited for this class. There is a lot of reading, but I felt like all of the readings were interesting and helpful. However, the lectures tended to be confusing, and he seemed almost annoyed whenever someone tried to ask a question or make a comment. The class is huge, which may add to this problem.
He may make you rethink your testimony but if you actually listen and think about what he is saying you will realize that you just get offended easily and he plays on that, and doesn't want to shake your testimony, just challenge your current ideology of your life.
Insane amount of reading. I have other classes to do work in you know..
Dr Hickman is awesome. Learning about culture has made me think about the entire world differently.
The reading is very heavy and barely understandable. I'm checking word definitions every other sentence in 50+ paged readings. He uses IClickers for quiz grades but the IClickers are very unreliable, which can ruin your quiz grades.
He makes a lot of the same points. Constantly. The examples used to back up the points are super interesting, but it's a lot of the same every lecture. It's kind of like a really well written high school essay, good examples but they all end with, and this also supports my earlier point. Every lecture. I like the class, it's just very repetitive.
He's a really great teacher and he makes you think.. a lot. Maybe even too much to the point of questioning everything you've every known, but in a good way. I always come out of class having learned something new. Sometimes his lectures nose dive into philosophy and it's difficult to understand some of the points he's making.
His lectures are complicated and often times I leave class with my mind blown. but if you pay attention you will learn to look at the world from a new perspective, he really teaches you how to think. Even if you're not majoring in anthropology or any other social science, this class can really benefit you in any field, or just life in general.
He talks almost explicitly about the Hmong culture that very few people are familiar with so it is hard to connect with. The lectures are very repetitive and never make me feel like I learned something substantial. The clicker quizzes are dumb bc you can read 100 pages and not get credit for any of it if you miss the 1 quiz question each day.
Any professor that makes you look at the world/your own world differently is worth learning from. Sometimes hard to follow his logic, and especially the logic of the readings, but really enjoyable class in general that makes you think.
Professor Hickman is a good one, but the workload is a little heavy and the reading is hard to understand. Most questions are cleared up in lecture and the class is pretty interesting overall- not my absolute favorite, though.
No tests. Quite a few papers, but nothing overly challenging. Very interesting subject. He does an excellent job teaching this subject.
This is probably the hardest course that Ive taken, but with that being said, an easy education is contrary to itself. Professor Hickman is fantastic and he genuinely is helping us to meet the courses goal to help us think, process, and act in an anthropological manner. He, along with this course, has changed the the way I look at and see reality.
The class is heavily lecture based. Its a class that makes you think and work to become a critical thinker and a more rounded human. I would definitely recommend this class though it is difficult.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to major in and as soon as I walked into Professor Hickman's class on the first day of school, I knew I should major in Anthropology. This class has SO much reading but most of it is interesting. Hickman makes you think outside of your comfort zone and I like that.
Fantastic lectures. Too much reading but -we're adults. Life skill - skim, look for details. A lot of these negative reviews seem to be written by kids who have no solid reasons for their faith and don't want to have to think about it/only took easy A classes. I'd rather have a tough short testimony than a shiny brittle one. Challenge growth.
Dr. Hickman is a really great guy and his lectures are also very well planned. He uses technology very well in his lectures and provides all the resources you need to pass the class. There is a TON of reading. Not a ton of small assignments besides reading quiz's every class. The class focus is to do larger projects throughout the semester.
This class has a LOT of reading, and sometimes it is complicated but in lecture Dr. Hickman does a great job of clearing things up. He is very knowledgeable and passionate and it is contagious. It is a lot of work, but keep in mind it covers 2 GE's. You may feel challenged but I promise if you keep an open mind he will expand it amazing ways.
I was a little wary of Dr. Hickman at first, but he's definitely grown on me. There is a lot of reading required, but it's not excessive and the readings are actually super interesting. It does take a good amount of effort to keep up in class, but if you pay attention and put in the work you'll learn a ton!
This class was difficult for me because it required such a change of mindset. I like Dr. Hickman; however, he's so educated in the realm of psychological anthropology that it took some serious mindpower to understand what he was saying in his lecture. It's an interesting topic and professor, but if you're looking for an easy class, this isn't it.
The first few lectures were incredible! I honestly learned so much from this class, but by the end of the semester it felt extremely tedious. There are way too many unhelpful readings, and quizzes every class period. The papers are impossible to get a good score on, but the TA's are helpful and kind. Worth it for 2 GE's, but get ready to WORK.
I love the material covered in this course, but Hickman does go in pretty deep. So if you are really passionate about Antropology then I would recommend Hickman, but otherwise be prepared for a lot of reading that is difficult to make sense of.
I loved this class. Professor Hickman gives amazing lectures and uses intriguing real-life examples from the Hmong people. There are many readings of about 40+ pages for each class however, they are extremely helpful for understanding the course. If you utilize your TAs this class will be so much easier.
He sometimes goes off on tangents during his lectures, but they all go back to the main topic. The key is going through your TAs. Use them, send them drafts of your essays, and always ask for help and you'll do fine in this class
I did not enjoy this class. Professor Hickman's goal is to confuse us and make us question our own "reality" and he loves to argue with students. He will ask for comments during lecture but then argue with the student before you can even get a full sentence out. Most of the readings were very dense and I didn't grow from them.
Dr Hickman's class is all about stretching you mentally. Some people don't likewhen their paradigm is threatened. If you like to be stretched intellectually and mentally, take this class. If you want a class you can get by without applying yourself, take something else, because this class will change you, if you let it.
So much reading and really hard grader.
I did not enjoy this class. Professor Hickman's goal is to confuse us and make us question our own "reality" and he loves to argue with students. He will ask for comments during lecture but then argue with the student before you can even get a full sentence out. Most of the readings were very dense and about Hmong people. He wants to be Hmong.
He's a very passionate guy, but you read about fifty pages a night for a one question reading quiz the next day. His TA's give vague explanations, and the bulk of your grade is based on a few abstract papers.
Anthro 101 was one of the best classes I've ever taken. There is a lot of reading and the projects/ papers are annoying, but Hickman is an incredible teacher and I loved his lectures. He helps to challenge the way you see the world and open your mind to other ideas. His views were a refreshing break from your typical BYU professor.
Hickman's lectures are pretty solid especially at the beginning of the semester, but later on, he just says the same few things in different contexts. The worst part by far is the dense reading that was expected and how little credit you got for doing it, but the class made me think about things in an entirely new way. Totally worth taking.
Hickmans lectures started out amazing and full of information, but eventually, each lecture felt less and less necessary. The TA's grade all your papers so always meet up with them a day or two before the deadline with a draft of your paper and they will tell you exactly what to fix to get an A. He always wears a tshirt under a sport coat. annoying
So much reading for a small amount of points, hard papers with ambiguous directions. GREAT lecturer but everything else was unnecessarily difficult. Do not take him.
Literally my favorite professor I have ever had. He will put in the effort to help you if you go to him because he actually cares about how you are doing in the class. He is difficult because he takes his job seriously.
I empathize with the students who rated him poorly - his class is hard, for a GE 100-lvl class. But Hickman is a serious educator and he wants you to actually LEARN + grow, not just get an A for sleeping through class. He tends to focus on the philosophical and psychological implications of anthropology. Blew my mind - I liked the class a lot.
I think this is a class that anyone going on a mission should take. The theme of being able to understand and appreciate instead of judge other cultures is a great life lesson. I enjoyed the class. Only issue- he talks in circles. He always repeats about how he wants us to think anthropological and just keeps saying it.
If you like a lecturer who uses as many fancy words as possible, this is your guy. He has amazing ideas but speaks in classical style which is not the way we speak in 2019. Theres a lot of great ideas and new perspectives to be gained in his class, but hes its easy to tune out and get bored because of his fancy jargon and fast talking.
Hes like the combination of a soapbox lecturer and a broken record- he toots his own horn while just repeating the same things over and over and over and over and over and over and over. There are great lessons to be learned in this class, but its boring.
holy crud where do I begin. This class was boring. I'm sorry. &you are expected to read 30-80 pages a night in one of the 5 books you get for this class. He is very intelligent and 90% of his vocab I dont know. it makes it hard to follow along. there is a project due, but it actually isnt bad at all. there are a couple papers, not hard but annoying
This class was..... "Problematic," as Dr. Hickman would say. Hickman is condescending and pretentious. I was expecting to learn about different cultures and celebrate their differences. That is not what happened. The readings are sanctimonious and overly wordy. The class is horrendously disorganized. Do not take at all costs.
I tried so hard in this class. It interested me and I wanted to succeed but nothing I did was good enough. Some of the readings were hard to get through and the prompts for essays were super vague but then graded harshly. Hickman also isn't very good at defining expectations in my opinion. he says to form your own opinions but then fails you.
He spends the first few weeks talking about how it is impossible to define culture and anthropology then lectures about things that don't make sense the rest of the semester. He's an intelligent man and has great vocabulary, but I never understood him. Prompts for essays are vague, but they are graded harshly. Questions won't be answered.
This class was literally the worst part of my semester. Prof. Hickman spent his time in this class bragging about how much he's traveled, arguing with students, and defending FGM. He uses big words to sound pretentious and refuses to let anybody other than himself be right. DO NOT take this class!!!
Dr. Hickman is a difficult professor. It is an amazing class, it will refresh your view of the world and will challenge stereotypical LDS culture. Beware, however, of heavy reading, repetition, pretty difficult abstract concepts that have high expectations and harsh grading criteria, and repetition. Cool class, but be aware it's homework heavy.
AVOID!! Cons: 30-50 pg. to read per class (3x/week) & doesn't often make sense. Other assignments time heavy & useless, but you need them to pass. Quiz every day. Lectures start awesome and TANK. He seems to love appearing atheist/communist. 2 of the books are free online through the library. Pros: "Song Poet" & "Living Buddhism" wonderful/gems
This class takes a lot of work but it is SO worth it. There is a lot of reading but as long as you keep up with it you will be prepared for class and it will make the essays much easier to write. The lectures are WAY interesting and I felt like I learned so much about the world. Dr. Hickman is a stud...10/10 would recommend him!
Professor Hickman really knows his stuff and is very helpful. Really prepared me for graduate education in anthropology.
This class seems easy as you don't have to take any written exams but the essays are graded as if we're trying to get a PHD. Thought I would be learning about different cultures and how to interact with that, instead just learned what anthropologists do.
Dr. Hickman is amazing, his lectures all build up to educate you more as a person and teach you how to be tolerant (if you let them affect you obviously) It is a reading heavy class with few essays but an A is definitely possible. Also he is respectful and changed some due dates like a real G.
Dr. Hickman's lectures were always engaging and interesting. The subject matter was extremely fascinating. It makes you challenge your assumptions about reality and look at the world from new, enlightening perspectives. The readings are A LOT and really hard to understand, but lectures help. The essays are also difficult but are graded fairly.
He kind of repeated the same ideas over and over again. While the class did make a difference in how I view the world, it was probably my least favorite class. He is not accessible, but his TAs are. He assigns a TON of reading.
interesting, thought provoking lectures, but a lot of outside work. long, complicated readings for every class, and papers piled up at the end of the semester. most heavily weighted grades werent entered until after I took the final, so I had no idea where I was at when I took the test. papers are graded (harshly) by TAs, so pray you get a good one
Professor Hickman was good at the beginning, but he became very repetitive. You have to make sure you understand the concepts in the books he assigns so you can have knowledge for the final and there are daily quizzes. We had a semester-long project that took up a lot of time, and readings were hard to get through every day.
I LOVED this class! There's tons of reading, but most of it is really interesting. Dr. Hickman is kinda repetitive but very insightful & really helps drive home the main points of the class, which is helpful. The papers are graded harshly, & overall grade really depends on whether you have a good TA. Overall it's a very doable & fascinating class!
Professor Hickman is a nice guy- I actually grew to like him as a person but this class was ridiculously hard for a 101 level course. If you are legitimately interested in Anthropology he's a good choice but if you're going for an easy GE I would definitely recommend not taking this class.
This class was really interesting and I learned a lot of new things, but he has very specific ideas and it kind of gets repetitive. I also took this for a GE and it is way too hard to take just for a GE credit, take something else if that is what you are wanting!! SO MUCH reading and they grade the papers very hard. Not worth the reading required.
Dr. Hickman is an amazing anthropologist. I have taken many classes and worked for him as well. He really pushes his students to be the best and excel in anthropology. If you want to learn and be entertained, then definitely take classes from him!
This class was eye opening, but there was just way too much required reading. Complicated required reading. It would have been better and more memorable had we read about half the books we did. The paper was graded very harshly.
Visual & Sonic Anthro classit has been my favorite anthro class so far! Great discussions, some technical training (DSLR cameras, Lightroom, Audition, Premiere Pro), a few readings, and 10 assignmentsno tests! Donuts and shared our films for the final. We did our own photo essays, soundscapes, and short ethnographic filmssuch a fun media class!
I'd take all of my classes from Dr. Hickman if I could. His teaching style is a little scattered, but he's fun and passionate. He goes over content until it makes sense to everyone. I was nervous about doing ethnographic research and designing a project, but I feel confident now. He's friendly toward students and cares about them succeeding. 10/10!
I enjoyed the way he lectured, it was clear that he was interested in his work. However, the grading was harsh and instructions were vague. There was never clear guidelines on how to write the essays. Most of the grading and instruction depended on which TA you get assigned to. The readings were long and hard to understand as well.
Lectures were engaging, but I never knew what I was actually supposed to be learning. The essay prompts were extremely vague and subjective and yet they were graded very harshly by the TAs and there were long, complicated readings for each class. Doctor Hickman is a nice guy, but he's best suited to teach higher level classes in my opinion.
Jacob's class was a nice combination of being fairly easy and super insightful. We had a giant project that was supposed to take us a whole semester. Depending on what you choose research on, this can either be easy or a nuisance. We had readings everyday that you can easily skim if wanted. The final ended up being optional. I highly recommend
Professor Hickman's ANTHR101 was a challenging but insightful course. The heavy reading load and harsh paper grading were tough, but his engaging lectures and the fascinating subject matter made it worthwhile. unstuckstudy was a lifesaver for study prep.
I loved this course. There is a lot of reading so be aware. Mostly I just skimmed and asked AI to help me understand the main point which is all you really need for the lectures. Seriously eye-opening though. Would recommend
Lectures are very long and strung out. I feel like I learned very little in this class. There are many readings, reading quizzes everyday (attendance), and most of your grade is based on a project that you create yourself. He is very opinionated!
If you are looking for a GE class, I would take something else. He is a great guy but this class was very difficult. There was a ton of readings which were very difficult to understand. The essay prompts were also very vague, making it hard to get all the credit. I also felt like the grading was harsh and inconsistent between TAs.
He is passionate about his work, but his lectures are very unrelated to the content and honestly feels like a waste of time. His slides are extremely vague and it is difficult to take any comprehensible notes due to the way he teaches. The labs in this class are great and clarify a lot and it was an interesting class otherwise.
The majority of the course is a self-project which is super interesting. However, the lectures are so dragged out that I learned slim to nothing. I am nowhere near prepared for the final. Also, TA's grade papers super harshly, and the labs on Friday are pretty much the only learning you will receive. Every day is a reading question, so no absences!
Professor Hickman is a very nice and caring person but had a very hard class. Lots of writing assignments, readings before every class that are difficult to understand. I did enjoy reading the books for this class. The only thing I learned from this class is that everything is subjective.
Prof. Hickman is not fit for an introductory class. He assigns pre-class readings of 40-70 pages of dense/hard to follow readings, as well as uncomfortable physically exploitative content involving women. If you are trauma-sensitive, don't take this class. The readings were relentless, and all rubrics for papers were extremely vague. Slow Graders.
This class is HE double hockey sticks, lots of readings that are very hard to understand, very harsh grading, and slowwww grading. This class is not meant for a GE course, I wouldn't recommend this, if you don't want to be a Anthropologist. There is no study guide for the final and I don't feel ready at all.
He is an awesome professor, and this is by far one of my favorite classes! I loved the lectures, and he is passionate, which makes it much more interesting. He cares about his students and wants to help them understand. This class is worth taking, and getting a good grade is not difficult as long as you do the readings and attend class.
Do not recommend this professor at all, his TA's are awful and his lectures are scattered.
Very unclear on the agenda of the lectures, and not connected to the readings. Essays were unnecessary.
Lectures were unclear what we were supposed to be learning. I liked the semester long project, but instructions and rubrics were very vague for assignments. TAs grading was harsh, widely varied, and slow. I attended every lecture and spent a week writing papers, visited my TA for help, but got below average scores. Take a different class for sure.
Watch out, its BRUTAL!!! I had to take this as a GE, but even if I was going to be an anthropologist I would've changed my major. If you like confusing readings that you are tested on only in the final, you will like the class. But again there is no study guide so who knows what you will be tested on. CANNOT SKIP CLASS! Attendance codes daily
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. For it being a GE class it is extremely difficult and his TAs grade very harshly. You will spend lots of hours reading and writing essays. There are no tests throughout the semester just essays BUT you get NO STUDY GUIDE for the final test and it is essay answer questions no multiple choice. Horrible and unfair. Stay away!
I wasn't always sure what I was supposed to be graded on. The material was interesting and Professor Hickman cared a lot. I enjoyed the class, but it felt put together at the last minute.
His class was interesting but incredibly difficult for an introductory class. I took this as a senior and it was so much reading and the exam was 4 essays that they don't have any study guide or review session. Also, didn't excuse me for attending my grandpas funeral and docked me on attendance. Just kind of cruel
The amount of busy work for this introductory course is ridiculous. Even the TAs seemed overwhelmed by grading, though they were the most helpful part of the class. We read 4 books, had reading quizzes every class for attendance, 3 essays, "miscellaneous assignments", a semester-long multi-part project, wordy lectures, and a final (no study guide).
Honestly, one of the hardest classes I've taken at BYU as a junior. I can't imagine taking this GE class as a freshman, considering the number of essays and how harshly they are graded. The reliance on AI detectors is frustrating, given how much research shows these systems are unreliable. The final is worth 20% of your grade with no study guide.
Professor Hickman was really passionate and knowledgeable about everything he taught. He has a love for anthropology and he wants to teach people about it. His class was easy, but prepared to do LOTS of reading. In total we read 4 books and lots of other readings. As long as you do them though and pay attention in lecture you should do good!
not sure why everyone is so hard on dr. hickman. he is a great teacher, and this class was easy. i hardly did any of the reading (though i reccommend reading because the content is interesting), and the final was just a couple short essays. take notes from lectures and you'll be fine. the hardest part was the projects, which weren't bad.
This is probably the best class I have ever taken. Reframed my perspective of the church, my life, and the while world. I did half of the readings and got by well, but the lectures are amazing so I would recommend applying yourself more than I did. Lots of application work, but it is mostly manageable. Dr. Hickman is clearly perfect for this class.
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