4.0
Quality3.2
Difficulty63%
Would Retake83
Reviews63%
Would Retake
83
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
39
4
23
3
14
2
5
1
2
What Students Say
“Seriously great man and knows everything in his field”
ANTH1011 - 5.0 rating“Plavcan is a great professor and really knows his stuff”
ANTH1013 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
47%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.39 avg changeRatings by Course
OSTEOLOGY
5.0
(1)INTROBIOANTH
5.0
(1)BIOANTHR
5.0
(1)ANTH3423
5.0
(1)PRIMATEANTH
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ANTHR1013
5.0
OSTEOLOGY
4.0
INTROBIOANTH
4.0
GRADUATE
4.0
BIOANTHRO
4.0
Reviews (83)
He knows his stuff, and he teaches like a maniac. You'll love it.
Lectures are fast paced and hard to follow. Entertaining.
An acerbic sense of humor... be careful or he'll think you're dumb!
The Plav is a pretty nice guy, kind of arrogant, but he is always very excited to teach. Tests can be pretty tricky, but the grading scale is pud. DEFINITELY take this if you need another science.
Distances himself from his students with his profound arrogance. Assumes that his personal academic affairs are of interest (or should be) to everyone. Probably doesn't care what his inferior, unqualified students think about him...
Worth taking just for the monkey calls he does.
No Comments
No Comments
He is a passionate professor, dynamic in every way. His monkey calls bring out a primal instinct in me. I look forward to each lecture in hopes that he will perform them again and again.
How could I forget to give such an attractive alpha male the chili pepper that he deserves?
Definitely not the easiest class ever, by far harder than Intro to PhysAnth! Plav knows his stuff VERY well, and he's freakin' hysterical! Cool guy.
Delicious, too.
I LOVE the Plav!
Hard class. Must go every day, but you'll get some entertainment by watchin him. Very animated
Easy class. Make sure you go to class though. Gives a good study guide.
Regardless of how dull the subject is, you can't help being infected by his enthusiasm. I don't think I've ever seen anyone enjoy his job more. Its the only class where 150 students can sit there hearing about Punnit squares with big grins on their faces.... Long Live the Plav-Stick!
Funny guy. The class is great especially if you have a friend with you so that you can talk about the subject during class. It's also great to make jokes about the subject for that day, it at least helps me to learn the material. Like Hardy-Weinberg...cupcakes.
Fun teacher that knows his stuff. He graduated form Duke and knows a lot about what he teaches. Pretty easy class with all multiple choice tests.
Great teacher. Very enthusiastic and animated. Makes boring material acceptable. Knows alot about the subject. You should take this class. 85-100 is an A and you get to drop a test.
I love this man...
Plav is a great teacher. He makes you want to learn, and you laugh the whole time. This class inspired me. He makes you feel smart and want to do big things to impress him. Just go to class and you can't help but get an A. The trip to the zoo is the best. Field trips in college? I love this man.
very good teacher, if he can make pliopliesodapiforms interesting you got to give him some credit. 85-100 A you cant beat that
very cool teacher, but you HAVE to go to class!! he also curves a little, like an 85 is an A which is cool but NO extra credit, but you can drop 1 class which includes the final... if you can try not to take the final since it is over the whole semester... easy to talk to and ask questions... very into what he does too... very animated..
Dr. Plavcan is the bomb! He's so much fun and he's so passionate about what he teaches that he makes the class interesting even if you don't care a bit about it. He's very helpful. If you need help, just ask him, he's great!
No Comments
I'm sorry.. he was a wonderful teacher, but the tests were HARD! You would think "oh 85-100 equals an A.. piece of cake", but that's not true. I'm a smart girl and I barely made a B.. it's hard subject manner if you're not really interested in it. I did however love him!
Best teacher I have had so far. Its hard not to pay attention. He really makes you want to learn. Essay tests are not hard if you read, listen, and sorta study. He really makes you care about your work. I wish he would teach more classes though! Zoo field trip - how much better can you get?!
Plavcan is just an overall wonderful professor. He is extremely intelligent, funny, engaging, and always makes the subject material interesting.
I hate this class. I am a good student who very rarely gets less than an A, and I'm sitting on a D in this class. His tests are ridiculously hard, even with the curve. He's somewhat entertaining and genuinely cares about his students, but the tests are simply too difficult.
Plavcan is hilarious! I get a good laugh every lecture. However, the material is not as easy as one might think, and it is important to pay attention in lecture and study before the tests.
Nice, funny teacher. I like the class. Study hard for the second test! It's not too easy!
Plavcan's a funny guy, makes class entertaining. Material is pretty difficult though, so really study for the tests, esp. the 2nd one!
He is a good teacher who is very enthusiastic about what he does. He is funny which keeps the lectures from being dry. He loves to answer questions in class. On the other hand, he teaches extremely fast which makes note taking a little hard. His classes always run over about 5 to 10 minutes every time and he gets off subject A LOT.
horrible
Nice teacher, difficult class. Goes quickly through lecture but notes are really helpful. Leaves a complete study guide online for all the tests. Study ahead of time and you will do good. Plavcan has good stories about fossils found, his colleagues, and other random stuff.
I loved Plavcan,and I loved his class too! If you are open minded you shouldn't have a problem. There is a lot of information to memorize, but he does give you a REALLY complete study guide. I only used the text to read when I missed a lecture.
brilliant. his theoretical foundation is rock solid and extensive. his quantitative reasoning is superb and he will take the time to discuss topics with you and explain things step by step. excellent professor, even with the occaisional goofy joke and tangents.
Dr. Plavcan delivers some of the most convoluted lectures I have had to endure throughout my four years at the UA. In many cases, he gives information that is not necessary for the tests; resulting in students becoming confused. Additionally, the class requires the memorization of far too much information for a 1000 level class.
Fantastic instructor- enthusiastic, funny, interesting, and very helpful! Course material is difficult, but if you use his study guide & attend class, you will do just fine. I highly recommend Plavcan!
Plavcan is a good professor. He is funny and very friendly. His tests can be a tad difficult, but he has a 5 point grading curve, so the class is very easy if you study a little bit and review his study guide.
Dr. Plavcan is an amazing teacher! yes, he does tend to rant on about some not necessary things, but they are relevant, just listen because he will say weather it will be on the test or not. if you go to class and take notes, you will pass. PS his curve for grading helps a ton!
Extremely interesting. Excellent lectures. Just don't talk or come in late...he gets a bit passive/aggressive when people do.
Plavcan was seriously hilarious and knows his stuff. He also tells a bunch of interesting stories or facts. He's a little eccentric but really makes a hard subject interesting. Go to class and study the notes/study guide and you'll barely have to use the book.
Straightforward class. Go to lecture, you'll need it for the tests.
Take good notes and study hard because the tests can be pretty difficult. Plavcan is funny and sometimes off topic, but very interesting. Just DO NOT talk during the lecture because he's very short-tempered. Overall, good teacher. Just study hard and you'll do alright.
great teacher! very funny and couldn't be more knowledgeable. the material is difficult but as long as you memorized the information on the study guide you'll be fine. takes almost all test questions from study guide. if you are slightly interested in anthro he is definitely the teacher to take. this man is huge in the anthro world. great teacher.
Wonderful professor! The material is tough but if you go to class and put in the time to study an A is definitely possible, especially bc 85+ is an A. He's so knowledgeable and always willing to help even in a class of 365! He goes fast but just tell him to slow down and he will. Seriously great man and knows everything in his field!
Great teacher, knows everything and takes the class very seriously but is really interesting!
At first I was excited to take his class, he seemed very intersting and made the class fun, but when I went to him for help he shut the door in my face. Wanted to heat his lunch up and then went into his office. I even sent emails which I got nothing back in response from him. I would say if you have to take ANTH from there pick another teacher.
i got an A, trust me YOU MUST ATTEND CLASS. he is a very nice, funny man and perfectly willing to help students understand what is going on. the tests are pretty hard, but you get to erase one test grade which is really nice. i would recommend typing your notes, he talks fast. no need to buy the textbook. he will teach you all you need to know.
Dr. Plavcan is a great professor and really knows his stuff. Attend lecture and study and you'll be fine. Tests will be difficult if you don't attend lecture. I hope to take another class with him in the future.
Plavcan is one of the best lecturers I've come across. Extremely knowledgeable of his subject, but also just as well-read on any other subject that might pop into his brain. He's also very funny, and will throw in interesting anecdotes about other scientists. But don't talk during his lecture! He'll stop the class and stare you down.
I wanted to take this class for an easy science and it sucked. Labs suck, he sucks. I usually make all As and I bombed all the tests after studying for hours. He's unhelpful and forces his views on you. Take another class/teacher.
Dr. Plavcan is amazing! His class really made me think and he is makes a long class VERY entertaining. For all you haters, get a sense of humor and actually study and you might see the light! He's also very nice to look at:)
Dr. Plavcan is a very enthusiastic professor. He makes what could be very dull material very interesting. He knows so much about his field and he is also knowledgeable about an array of subjects. Definitely choose him for this course!
His honors colloquium on primates is great. Very interesting and not much work, just three fairly easy tests and two papers. Plus, a field trip to the zoo! His lectures fly by and are actually kind of fun. He'll even bump up your grade if you're close and you've got good attendance and he thinks you deserve it. He's a very fair grader.
I found the class interesting but his tests were hard. The kind of guy you would want to have a beer with.
evolution of human mating systems great guy. definitely knows his stuff. go to class or you won't be able to keep up. no extra credit. 3 essay exams/ 2 each... hard to figure out exactly what he is gonna ask. don't try and bs essays- wont work.. extremely interning course.
Best professor I've had yet. Hands down.
This class is too hard for an intro level class, especially if you aren't interested in the department. I had a hard time figuring out the material, and the only grades are from tests. He is entertaining but the class is way harder than some other science credits you could take. I wouldn't recommend this class.
Plavcan's a pretty good teacher. He's really in to his work and knows what he's talking about. Probably one of the smartest professors I've met. His lectures can be long and boring but he is more than willing to help especially if you go to his office hours! You just have to put some time in to studying for tests.
Great teacher, knows his stuff. Tests are tough and cover a lot of information. If you're taking this class as an "easy science class," don't. It is a hard class and you really have to work to make a good grade. Lab is also horribly boring.
This is one of the easier science core credits. If you read the book and pay attention in class you will do fine. Be prepared for a lot of information and hard tests. He always gave us a curve on tests and let a b+ be an A when I took it. If you're bad at science take this class.
He really knows what he is talking about. If you don't go to the lectures, you won't do well on the tests. Drops your lowest test grade out of 4 so you don't have to take the final if you like your grade. He puts the lecture slides online but take notes on what he says in class.
I took this class as one of my core science credits, and it was WAY harder than I ever expected. I am usually not bad at science, but this class was all about types of monkeys and evolution and was so boring and hard. Do not recommend taking this class unless you are interested in this stuff.
Yes, you will need to go to class, but the test so much easier that way. Yes, you will need to study for the tests. His policy (as of now) is that if you are happy with your grade after the first 3 tests, then your final is optional. He is a very respected teacher and I would take him again. He isn't hard, but it isn't a blow off class.
Class is too difficult for a 1000 level. Too much information included on one test. Do not take this if you need a basic science credit.
Professor Plavcan is extremely intelligent and has an obvious passion for anthropology, but his lectures have so much material in them that even a straight-A student would have trouble keeping an A. During a lot of his lectures, he would spend 45 minutes telling an irrelevant story from his work in the field and then cram 20 slides into 15 minutes.
Go to class, pay attention, and study. He is super entertaining and loves what he teaches. Definitely recommend. Plus gives great study guides for tests.
He makes class super interesting! You can take quizzes as many times up to a 100%. Study the material and youll do fine.
I love Dr. Plavcan. Extremely passionate about Anthro and is really intelligent on this topic. His lectures are really interesting & hes a funny guy. 3 tests, final is optional if you like your current grade. 3 quizzes you can take many times, 6 attendance grades. Lots of terms but I got an easy A in this class bc i studied and came to class
He does random attendance. He doesn't accept any excuses. You really have to put in time studying to pass the exams. Go to the lecture and pay attention, it really helps. He covers a lot of information in every lecture.
This class is so boring. He seems to really know the material but the subject is awful. Tests are really hard and cover too much material. Definitely would not have taken this class if I knew this beforehand. He's not a bad teacher but his style is not an effective way for me to learn. Maybe I would have liked it better with a different teacher.
If you don't have to take anthro for your major i wouldnt. you definitely have to work for your grade in this class but its very doable. Plavcan is a little goofy but he's nice and you can get a hold of him fairly easy.
Plavcan is a cool dude, and keeps the class interesting. Don't take this class if you don't want to have to memorize species of primates, and their characteristics. Lots of material covered, but the exams are easy if you know your stuff. He gives you a study guide with all the info you need for the tests, so study that and you'll be fine. Lab's fun
Plavcan is a good choice for an easy science credit. He has a clear grading scale. He opens his quizzes for a whole week, and you can take it as many times until you get a 100. He also has random attendance checks. He'll provide all of his lectures and study guides to prepare for tests. You also have the option to drop the final.
I took him for Evolution of Mating Systems, would take it again if I could! All of the lectures are really interesting. The only grades we had were for attendance and 3 exams. The 3rd exam was counted as our final. Make sure you go to the lectures or the Exams will be challenging. He only has two essay questions per exam.
I took Biology Anthropology and Evolution of mating Systems with him. He knows his stuff, make sure you show up for the lectures. He does random attendance checks and it WILL effect your grade if you miss them.
He gives your a lot of opportunity to pass his class! But his class is super hard!!! I had a really hard time keeping up most of the time. If you miss a class you need to reach out to him and ask if you can meet with him to discuss the lecture. Really cool guy to just talk to and pick his brain! He has been out in the field and has done it all!
Two words. Monkey. Impressions.
He is awesome. He'll talk your ear off if you let him, but he is wildly intelligent. I took Evolution of Human Mating which was actually an incredible topic to study. He writes his notes that he tests over on the board and will not post them, so if you skip class you're screwed for the test. The good news is you don't need to read at all.
Dr. Plavcan does not do online class well. His class has 3 total assignments, 3 tests. He wants specific things mentioned on each test, but gets picky in the way you write it. When I reached out to him to see why my test grade was low, he blamed my studying habits. He does have an extra assignment to bring up grades, but it is not easy.
Amazing and really interesting lectures! As long as you show up for class, the course isn't that hard. Readings are necessary, but he does have them available, if you miss a lecture. 2 essay questions for exams; no multiple choice.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
47%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.39 avg changeRatings by Course
OSTEOLOGY
5.0
(1)INTROBIOANTH
5.0
(1)BIOANTHR
5.0
(1)ANTH3423
5.0
(1)PRIMATEANTH
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ANTHR1013
5.0
OSTEOLOGY
4.0
INTROBIOANTH
4.0
GRADUATE
4.0
BIOANTHRO
4.0