Mostly lectures with interesting PowerPoint slides. Does not require much student participation, as he mostly lectures, but is happy to answer questions. Also, there are no STUPID group projects in this class! He takes the time to thoroughly read essays. Do not take this class if you have weak writing skills. Very fair & no anti US rhetoric

Not the most interesting lecturer, but he is easy to follow and does outstanding PPT presentations, which highlight key issues. You must have excellent writing skills however, as he grades students the way they SHOULD be graded in an upper division course. Lecture/listen style, but accepts/answers student ?'s.

good teacher who knows his stuff...easy B, maybe A if you really try...it's a boring class if Latin American studies does not interest you.

His $600 vocabulary can be intimidating, but he's a really cool guy and a very fair grader. The lectures did get dry in the second half, but do your best to try and keep up. Midterm, final, and a big group project, attendance is 10%. I felt like I came away with a lot, so I recommend him. Good professor!

Midterm, Paper, Final and a lecture style class. This is the style I prefer. If you prefer group discussion this will not be for you. Lectures with interesting powerpoints and he got me genuinely interested in 'Latin American Politics'. I recommend him highly.

Straight to the point and clear. Repeats things to help with the learning as his PP slides cover a lot of ground. Interesting if you are interested in learning the subject. Open to questions and often asks if there are questions.

powerpoints are on blackboard. attendance is graded and was the only reason i went. easy easy easy but boring. bring a newspaper, magazine and some food and time will fly. don't buy the book.

Slightly dry class, but awesome teacher. He's a wealth of knowledge, easy to approach, and very straight-forward. Passes around a sign-in sheet for attendance. Don't buy the book it's a waste of money.

Attendance is mandatory but being mentally present isn't. If you have interest in worldly affairs then this class is for you, as he is very knowledgeable and helpful if you ask. Buy the book so you can pass the tests, because not everything is in the slides. The final was way too hard and had questions impossible to study for so look out

Class is a complete joke. Multiple choice section of exams is a little tricky, but the essays are your saving grace. Take your laptop to class and pay him no attention, he won't care. Don't buy the book, everything you need is in the powerpoint slides. I'm pretty sure that isn't coffee in that thermos, either.

This prof taught my senior thesis seminar at UCSD. This prof is very knowledgeable, insightful, and helpful. I could see how he could be dry, but if you listen, his views are very profound. Helped me all the way with my paper; he never gave up. Ended up with an A on my thesis. Good way to end my college career :) Thanks J. Samstad!

A good teacher but not the easiest class. Every day is groundhogs day - a Power Point lecture that is chalk full of information that you may or may not ever need. It's hard to sort through all the material to study for rather difficult exams. If you know how to study efficiently you will do well. Don't buy the book, I got an A and never did.

One of the coolest professors at SDSU.

Going to this class was bittersweet bcuz I enjoy Latin American politics but his class wasnt engaging enough. Attendance is mandatory. Lot of info on ppt but on BB and he gives alot of help in essays and tests. Genuine care for his students.

Attendance mandatory. This class has a bunch of economic theories at the beginning but then more or less applied to the 6 countries. Midterm, final and group project make up your grade. Fairly easy grader. He didn't seem to engaged at 930 AM

Great Proff. very straight forward. Gives assign reading but you don't really have to read the book. 2 test. A midterm and a final. Get points for attendance.

He really knows his stuff. The readings aren't really necessary if you show up to class and pay attention. You get points for attendance AND participation so it's worth showing up. Midterm, essay, and final make up most of the grade. Not a super hard class and it's actually really interesting.

Helpful guy. Readings are not too excessive. Pay attention more on what he says during his PPT slides, because they'll be good information to take notes on for the midterm/final essays.

Dr. Samstad is a great professor! Yes, he does talk from powerpoints with a ton of info but you can tell from the amount of detail that he puts in them that he truly cares. He also has engaging class discussions. He gives study guides before each exam telling EXACTLY what you need to know and allows you to bring a sheet of notes. EASY A!

Great teacher!I would really recommend this class. I wasn't really interested in politics before but I am now :)

A kind professor but definitely a boring lecturer. This class was death by powerpoint but I still stayed tuned in and made it through. Make sure you make a page of notes in tiny print for the midterm and final and you will pass. Do some readings to incorporate into the essay questions. A group project is required but don't be nervous.

He's a great teacher; he's straightforward, knowledgeable, helpful. He teaches thoroughly and you don't really need to read if you study the powerpoints. He posts the powerpoints online, his essay questions always seem hard but if you know your stuff he grades easy, he gives you a detailed study guide. Just go to class.

Very straightforward. Takes attendance every class. All the information for the tests is on the Powerpoints, which he puts online. 2 tests, 1 essay. Lets you use cheat sheets which make the tests a piece of cake. Easy essay grader.

Interesting class, I learned a lot. He reviews the previous lecture during every class which is helpful. Your grade rides on just a midterm, final, and hefty essay though.

He is a very kind professor who is extremely intelligent and you can notice his passion for politics. The class is pretty straight forward, you just have to attend class and pay attention to his study guided because the tests are based on that. I didn't use the textbook. he gives you a 1 page cheat sheet and grades fairly easy.

This was a good class . Did really good on the exams got B+'s and did alright on the paper (got a c) Make sure to ask a lot of questions about the paper beforehand- i didn't do that. I would have gotten a A in the class if i did. His lectures were long because they were at 2pm. other than that he is amazing! He is interesting and a really nice.

Probably the most boring lecturer I have ever experienced. Although you get a cheat sheet, tests cover an insane amount of material. Do not recommend at all.

Listening to his lectures is probably more boring than watching grass grow, but it's a decently easy class if you show up.

He was an awesome professor. Although he isn't outgoing, he was very nice. If you approach him he is there for you. His tests are easy, the questions are straightforward (no detail) and mostly from power points. Definitely a must.

Interesting subject matter but boring lecturer. MidtermFinal are essay + MC. lets you have a cheat sheet for the exams. 1 paper assignment. Not a terribly hard class, but attendanceparticipation are big factors in your grades. Listen @ lectureat least skim the textbooksmake a good cheat sheet - and you can ace this course

Take notes, ask questions, and DO THE STUDY GUIDE. You will pass for sure if you only do the study guide. It's the most helpful tool to pass his tests. For the essays, use a lot of detail and facts. Don't write sloppy. With that combo you should do fine. Ultimately: very boring lecture so ask questions to stay awake.

His monotonous voice makes lectures feel eternal but he is a good professor. There is a midterm test and a midterm paper. The final is multiple questions and an essay. You need to take a map quiz, participation and attendance is part of your grade. Overall was an okay class.

Participation is based on attendance which Samstad has a sign in sheet. One midterm, a paper, and cumulative final. You need to know the material well enough to answer the essay questions. The powerpoints and study guides are posted online and you get a cheat sheet for the midterm and final. He's a pretty boring lecturer though.

The class is composed of 1 midterm, 1 paper, a final and attendance. you get 1 full page of notes for the midterm and 2 for the final. He gives a very helpful study guide for both tests. He does take a while to get things back graded. His test questions come mostly from the slides.

All of the powerpoints he goes through are online, so you never actually have to pay attention in class. attendance is mandatory, in the sense that you sign your initials in everyday. only 2 tests and one paper the entire year. The tests are fine because he gives you a study guide, and one 5 page paper. easy enough.

He can be very boring but the class is easy to pass if you go to class and study off the study guide he gives you. He allows a page of notes which is very helpful and his tests are not tricky. He is a boring lecturer but you just have to sit through it to earn the participation.

EASY CLASS. 2 EXAMS AND 1 PAPER. you only need the textbooks for the 1 paper. nothing else, share it with a friend. the exams are verbatim the power points and lectures. I would totally take this again. He's very nice and to the point, but a boring lecturer.

You only have 3 exams and one 5 pg paper. He grades paper really easily! I got a B and i wrote my essay 2 hours before the class. Exams are everything based on his powerpoints which he posts on blackboard. His class is out of 1000 points. 50 points go to attendance and 50 to participation, so if you decide to not go to class ur not missing much

Very easy class. Attendance is mandatory and lectures are boring but just come to class and study for the exams (which you also get to have a page of notes for) and you'll get an A. There was one midterm paper that I wrote the night before and got 100% on.

Class is straightforward in terms of the material you need to know as well as the grading criteria. A midterm, paper, and final are the only things graded. The professor is very helpful, provides a study sheet and allows you to use one page of notes during the exams. He also does a good job of helping you remember the material through the lectures

Brilliant professor. You learn a lot if you pay attention. Class is based off of: attendance, participation, a midterm, a map quiz, a paper, and a final. For the 2 exams you are allowed notes which are helpful. He really encourages participation and critical thinking. I would recommend taking him if you are passionate about the subject.

Grade is made of two tests, a research essay, participation, and attendance sheet. I had problems with understanding the material with this course, so I went into his office hours(counts as participation) and told him that I was having an issue with it. He worked with me and made sure I passed. Go to every lecture.

Brilliant professor. You learn a lot if you pay attention. Class is based off of attendance, participation, a midterm, a map quiz, a paper, and a final. You are allowed 1 page of notes for both exams, so write very small. He really encourages critical thinking. Test questions come from power point slides/lecture. Essay questions come from readings

he was a good professor, his lectures are super super boring though and you have to sign in every time so you have to show up. very few assignments so make sure to do your best on them. exams are basically the exact same thing as the powerpoints, and you can have 1 page of notes for the midterm, and 2 for the final. overall a very interesting class

super caring and respectful guy. He has genuine interest in both the topics, and students' success. Lectures are pretty boring and long if you aren't interested in politics, but attendance is taken. Pleasantly surprised by getting to have a note sheet (1 page) on the midterm, and two page sheet on the final. Essay is hefty but not a big deal!

I've had Samstad for 103 and 366 now. His lectures are kinda boring, but he grades pretty easily and he's really smart... if you can stand the lectures and show up to class it should be an easy A.

Solid professor. Attendance is mandatory but the lecutres are tolerable. 1 midterm, 16 quizzes (done at one's own pace), 5-6 page paper, and final.

If you pay attention to his lectures (same as the book), you will do amazing in his class! I had him during the semester where half was in person as normal and the other half was online due to COVID-19, and I really enjoyed both. He really cares about your success and will help you however you need. Lot of info but just skim through book to study.

Prof Samstad is just so great... Pols103 in the middle of a pandemic is inevitably a little boring, but he is so caring and the workload is super manageable. I have definitely learned a lot even though I don't really watch the lectures and just go through the PowerPoints and do the quizzes/discussion boards at my own pace each week. Great guy!

Weekly fill in the blank quizzes with info from ppts. Midterm and final are all essay questions but if you complete the study guides you'll be fine. Participation is a mix of attending the lecture, being active in the lecture, and/or doing weekly discussion posts. Class is a lot of work but so worth it.

Samstad is a great professor who cares a lot about his students. You can tell he is very passionate about the subject based on his lectures. Although exams may be tough they are nothing impossible. He replies to emails fast. His class is not an easy A but as long as you attend every lecture and pay attention you shouldnt have to worry

I loved this class. Zoom wasn't mandatory, but there was a participation grade; you could get points by doing a discussion board post in lieu of attending class. He posted lectures online and was a lenient grader. The exams are both writing-based and there is a paper, so keep that in mind. I have SASC accommodations and he was super understanding.

You can honestly just watch the lectures on 1.5x speed and be good. He was very informative so you don't really need the book except for the paper. Weekly quizzes and discussions that are super easy. No homework. A midterm, paper, and final. Overall, one of the easiest classes I've taken so far. Take him! Easy A by far.

Second time taking Samstad. All his classes are structured the same. Weekly quizzes that are taken directly from his lecture slides, a paper, and 2 exams. Interesting material makes this class enjoyable, and I would easily take him again.

He is a great professor and his lectures are very clear. As long as you attend the lectures and take notes, you will do fine. There are 2 midterms, a final, and one paper. You are able to use a one-sided page of notes for the exams and you are given the paper topic a month prior to the due date. I would highly recommend Professor Samstad.

The class is 95% lecture and 5% discussion as he asks questions throughout for volunteers. He is very clearly educated on the topic and makes it as informational as possible. If you show up and take notes, you'll be fine. I got a 92 and 100 on the first midterm after missing a couple classes.

I love Professor Samstad, he is very passionate and knowledgeable about Latin America which makes his lectures interesting. Grades are based on weekly quizzes, discussion boards, 1 paper, and 2 exams. Ive taken him three times! Beware his lecture recaps will put you to sleep, but he really wants students to understand.

super chill class as long as u study for the exams. lectures were pretty boring so id play 2048 cupcakes most classes and still got an A. attendance is mandatory and the entire course is graded off of 2 midterms 1 paper and 1 final. he allows cheat sheets for exams so i recommend u take advantage of that. pretty solid gen ed choice, stress free af

I thoroughly enjoyed taking professor Samstad's class. He is such a sweet and caring professor that goes above and beyond to make sure that his students are taken care of. He is extremely knowledgeable about the subject that he teaches and if you pay close attention to the lectures, you'll have no trouble passing. He's really awesome

Extremely and knowledgeable; engages the class through question-and-answer which will sometimes turn into a class debate. Participate in this or you will find his lectures very dry. Assigns textbook readings (which can be found online).Midterms are half scantron, half short essay. One research paper, and one cumulative final. Grades on attendance.

Samstad is a solid choice if you wanna just sit in a class and just breeze through the course. The man is extremely knowledgeable in the topics that he teaches but has the most monotone voice I have ever heard. The class is basically based off of 2 midterms, a final paper, and a final exam which are pretty easy with the study guide he provides.

Extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the subject but has the most boring monotone voice. During lectures literally every single person is on their phone or watching netflix. There's only 2 midterms, a research essay, and a final. Tests are half scantron half essay and easy to pass with the study guide.

He's a good teacher, he knows his stuff and he communicates it well, but the class is very lecture heavy and if you aren't already interested in the material, you'll probably get pretty bored. Worth it to take if you like poli sci and can handle long lectures. The tests are kind of difficult but you get a page of notes that makes them a lot easier.

Very easy professor and course. Lectures are helpful but really not necessary to learn the material, although you do get points for attending. Three exams where you get a cheat sheet, and the study guides are literally exactly like the tests. One essay that isn't difficult at all. Best history course I've ever taken, definitely recommend for GE.

Samstad was a good professor. He felt a little monotone sometimes but gave good content. The material at every lecture wasn't super necessary for the exams but the study guides were really good. He also let you have a cheat sheet for the exams and graded pretty easily. Attendance is taken every class so you must go and he gave minimal homework.

Professor Samstad is very knowledgeable and his lectures are insightful. His power points were detailed enough to be able to do well on the exams. There is 1 take home essay and one final exam essay, but they were easy. Overall, I enjoyed his lectures and he is one of my top 3 favorite Poli Sci professors at SDSU. I learned so much from his class.

Bit monotone, but the lecture material was interesting. Have to read the texts he provides, but it isn't too bad. Two "midterms," one a month before the next. A term paper that was relatively short and not too time-consuming. A cumulative final but allows a sheet of notes for each midterm and two for the final. Few people participated in discussion

Very understanding, literally let me turn in an essay a day late without penalty out of kindness. He's pretty easy to talk to and encourages students to ask questions which helps them understand the material better. The only thing is the grade solely relies on midterms and one final but they're not too bad and there's no homework.

The lectures are long, but if you're okay with that I'd say his class is worth taking.

I thoroughly enjoyed professor Samstad's class, he is a nice guy.

Professor Samstad is such a nice, caring, sweet man. You can tell he is passionate about his students and takes pride in his lectures. Tests are easy if you pay attention in class.

Pay attention to the lectures and you'll do great. That's it, it's a very straightforward class.

Samstad is one of the most passionate professors I've ever had, you can tell that he loves what he does and it makes you love to learn it. He is now one of my favorite professors and this was one of my favorite classes. At first lectures may seem slow, but if you pay attention he really draws you in.

Professor Samstad is a great professor, he not only does his best as an educator but as a person. He cares about his students and their success. I had a personal medical situation and Professor Samstad was more than willing to always work with me. It's rare to see professors care about their students both academically and personally.

I loved Mr Samstad his class was so easy. You don't even need to do the book and extra readings (recommended, but not necessary). Even when you miss his class looking at the slides is enough. It can be a little lecture-heavy, as it is mostly him talking, but it was a super simple class. Love it

He is a great professor who is very knowledgeable about the subject. Attendance was mandatory, and lectures could be a bit boring at times, but overall the class was easy. Graded primarily based on 3 major exams which students are allowed a page of notes for, and a course paper. The study guide he provides were really useful. Would recommend.

Good teacher and gave good lectures, be aware that 70% of your grade is test based i got a c and c+ on the first 2 midterms which kept me from an A unfortunately

Dude is super chill. You get points for attendance and the exams are pretty easy. You get a page of notes and he does a lot of review. Didn't read the textbook once, just took some notes in class and made a sheet of notes and did well.

Professor Samstad is a super knowledgeable, well-spoken professor. His class was super lecture heavy, which I found kind of boring, however when I payed attention I could tell how much he knew about the content. His tests weren't super easy, however you get a one page notes sheet which is nice.

Samstad is very knowledgeable and very caring! Lectures can feel boring but his exams are all based on his lectures. Posts slides so if you take notes and study you'll be good. Study guides and 1 cheat sheet for each exam & are very helpful. Grade consists of 3 exams and 1 paper. Very accommodating and considerate, take his class!!

Easy class overall if you pay attention during lectures, which are super boring

Professor Samstad is the GOAT for Poly Sci. Very smart man who knows his stuff and is very kind. Basically 3 exams and term paper. Cheat sheet allowed. My grade was lower than I wanted but that was on me for blowing the first exam MC. I was more worried about the essays and didn't have enough MC facts on my cheat sheet. Take him! He's best

He literally is such a good guy and a great lecturer. You can tell he really knows his stuff, and despite what others say, listening to him talk is actually fun. You can tell he actually cares about what he's informing us on, and it's evident through his constant questioning on the classes opinion. He allows a page of notes on each midterm (2).

He is the professor you think you will get when in university. He has good lectures, speaks well, and allows many different viewpoints for or against things discussed in class. He is understanding which is important for all professors and honestly one of my favorite professors. Oh and btw attendance matters so you better show up.

This is your stereotypical "college" professor. Very slow and lecture heavy. Honestly just take the notes and you'll be fine. Each test you get a "cheat sheet" for and tests are somewhat curved. Solid professor but only if you either love Political Science or want a class to zone out in.

this class was honestly boring because the lectures were monotonous, but you can tell that samstad knows what he's talking about. there's barely any homework except for an online quiz each week with unlimited tries that you can just chatgpt. the tests are honestly so easy and you get a cheat sheet, i got 100 on all of them and ended with near 100.

He knows a lot about Political Science and his class was overall pretty easy. The lectures are a bit boring but it's easy to get a good grade if you pay attention or study. There are two midterms and a final with a cheat sheet. Not much homework but he does take attendance. I would recommend him as a professor and he is very kind.

I thought this class was going to be boring but it was very informative due to Samstad being a guy who knows his stuff and what he is talking about. There are no group projects or too many assignments besides weekly quizzes as well as discussion boards for participation. Attendance matters due to a sign in sheet being passed around every class.

Professor Samstad's lectures can be a bit dry, but if you stay engaged and use helpful study tools like Unstuck study, you'll do well. The tests are fair and his grading is reasonable. Overall, a solid class if you put in the effort.

He was a very nice teacher. The class we a lecture every time. There were a couple of tests that were multiple choice with a writing section. Make sure you know what you are writing about because he is a tough grader. Overall I would take this class again, not too bad.

I really liked his lectures, he was super educated and encourages participation during lectures. He allowed a sheet of loose leaf paper for tests which helped a lot. His tests truly were not bad, if you take the weekly tests that he assigns, all the answers for the tests could be found on there. Barely any homework, you don't need a textbook.

The tests aren't that hard and there really isn't homework, only one essay for the class. His lectures are boring, but you get credit for attendence.

Really liked the overall organization of the course, homework isn't difficult at all, tests are easy and provides study guide as well.

His lectures can be a little slow at times and attendance is mandatory. But he is a very lenient grader and he really knows what he is talking about. This class doesn't have much work and your grade comes mostly from tests and one paper. Overall a pretty solid class.

It was an easy class. You will have weekly assignments. The tests are easy, you're allowed notes, it's honestly an easy A. Take him if you need to, I recommend

The lecture can be boring, and his slides are full of information, but the topics are easy to get. The hard part is the 4 papers that you have to do in class that affect the grade: 3 papers during the exam and a big paper at the end of the semester.

The lectures are pretty dull, but he has a lot of information about the topics covered, and he allows cheat sheets for the exams. Honestly, as long as you put in a little effort you can pass easily.

hes such a sweet guy and very understanding he def knows what hes talking about and makes his class very easy, optional discussions and cheat sheets for exams

Honestly pretty easy class overall. The class consists of 2 midterms which you get a cheatsheet and study guide for. Theres only one paper which is only 750 words but, you do need to know what your're talking about. Attendance is mandatory, but you don't need to go to class to understand whats going on. Lectures are very boring.

If you need to get an easy, super-light GE done, take this class. Professor is very knowledgeable and knows his stuff. Class can be pretty interesting. As long as you pay attention to the lectures, don't even really need to read the textbook at all.

Professor knows what he is talking about, class isn't too hard. 2 midterms and a final, a course paper, a weekly quiz online and discussion post. Had a study guide for every test and allowed a one sided cheat sheet. Tests consisted of multiple choice and a short answer "essay" which as long as you answer the question fully was graded pretty easy.

Great professor overall! Lectures are slow and boring at times, but very informational and you can tell he is very passionate and willing to talk about the material. Very accessible over email as well as in-person office hours, and generally very understanding and helpful. Exams are pretty easy though grading can be unclear for the exam essays.

if you need this ge, take this class!! the cutest old guy who is passionate in what he talks about. his lectures are pretty boring and he mainly just reads off of slides but the tests were super easy and youre allowed a cheat sheet for both. a weekly quiz and discussion but that was it. grading for the tests and course paper take forever