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pretty difficult but very interesting.you will learn a ton in here.don't come in hoping for an easy grade though. if you talk to him though, you should get some leverage on your grade. he brought mine up 2 or 3 points.

Nice guy. Passionate about the subject.

I really enjoyed this class. The lectures are very easy to understand and the readings were fairly easy. Dr. Alvard is very helpful if you're having trouble. He is an outspoken athiest, but he doesn't try to push his views and welcomes rational discussion and debate.

After first test never went to class, and I made a B on the second test. SUPER EASY. Puts all lecture slides online, and the test review. Tests are pretty easy, do need to study vocal, and pay attention to details on the different tribes. Interesting class, and you can teach yourself the information. Take him!

Dr. Alvard is a interesting character- I love listening to him. He is not afraid to say what he thinks. It is fun to hear his worldly/non-conformist perspective. The lectures are easily understandable and the subject is very interesting-make you think about how you think/live.

It is essential to attend class. Nearly everything on the test comes from the lectures. I thought all of the lectures were really interesting but there is a lot of information to absorb with some of them and if you want to make good grades on the exams you'll have to study a lot and do some memorization. Dr. Alvard makes it very interesting though.

I loved his intro class! He makes it super interesting by including his own experiences working with people from across the globe. He definitely goes into a lot of detail, particularly on culture, but it's to be expected. The tests are not too hard. Just go to class and take notes. He even posts the power points. It's easy as high school.

Dr. Alvard loves what he's teaching which makes the class go by way faster. I maybe used the textbook once and still got a B for the class. As long as you attend lecture and go over the study guide, it's very easy to do well. He also gives accounts of his personal experience in the field which made it more relatable. You will not regret taking this

Dr. Alvard is incredibly smart and passionate about anthropology! There are clicker questions for attendance every single lecture so make sure you have perfect attendance. All of the exams were easy because the study guides were very thorough, so idk why other posts say they were specific. Also talks a lot about his own research. Overall great prof

Professor Alvard was a pretty good prof! MAKE SURE YOU GO TO CLASS EVERY DAY! You get clicker points every class and I have gotten B's on every test but have a 94 in the class based solely on clicker quizzes! There are 3 tests, 2 regular and 1 final and that's about it! I suck at tests, but his are pretty straight forward.

He is super easy to listen to in lecture but gets off topic a lot. Tests based mostly on lectures but the study guide literally covers everything. Clicker question every single day in class so do not miss!!! Usually no extra credit but if you read the chapters over the tribes (2 per test) and go to class you should be able to pass just fine

Really chill professor, knowledgeable and clearly interested in his own subject. Occasional quiz question in class, but nothing too hard. Paying attention in lecture without reading the textbook was enough for me to get a B.

Dr. Alvard was a very interesting professor! He liked talking about the tribes he's studied and loves to hear what students have to say about controversial topics. His tests come completely from his lectures, so just study the powerpoint slides and you'll get an A. The final is just another test (non cumulative).

one of my fav professors! test are straight from his lectures so pay attention. his lectures are very engaging and interesting because he has pictures of him and the tribes he lived with. he moves around a lot in class and makes funny movements. talks about politics sometimes.

Dr Alvard is very passionate about his work. He also likes to bring up controversial subjects and is not afraid to make you think and question things. His tests are straight from his lecture slides, but you will definitely need to study hard for tests, He does clickers, so attendance is mandatory. Not a horrible class, but also not an easy A

Easy A. His lectures are amazing and one of the best profs I've had. Textbook is needed but you don't really need it because he posts his lectures. Test questions are straight forward. Attendance is mandatory with clickers, show up early because he does it at the beginning of class CLICKER POINTS WILL SAVE YOUR GRADE'S LIFE

He's a fantastic professor: he is passionate about his work and makes it interesting. However, it is all memorization, and the tests are somewhat hard.

This prof was one of my favorites to have ever taken. His lectures are clear and very detailed. You can tell he loves his work and his job. He never hesitates to answer questions and make things clearer if you are confused. His TAs are also a God-send. If you read and complete the study guides given for each exam, you should pass with flying colors

I say skip class you won't pass only because he does clicker points that WILL save your grade. Other than that, the course is based on 3 exams (the final is a non-cumulative exam 3). Dr. Alvard was an interesting professor maybe not the best because he would go off on tangents and not finish the slides but there was never a boring lecture.

I had Prof Alvard fall 2018, and I'm planning to take him again in fall 2019. His lectures are hilarious and extremely informative. He goes on some tangents, but they're honestly fascinating. Take THOROUGH notes, though! Write down most everything he says, and make sure to go to the review sessions! Just pay attention and you should be fine.

This was supposed to be an in person class, but covid. His lectures were so engaging and interesting. This was the only class I actually enjoyed this semester and it reminded me that I like learning. would highly recommend and he is also lgbtq friendly which is nice.

Took this class online this semester and it was really enjoyable. His lectures are interesting and you can really tell he has a passion for what he teaches. Take detailed notes, on almost every single thing he has to say, some test questions reference his own words. Complete all the quests, pass all the exams and you should get an A.

Great proffessor! loved this class and you can tell he really cares about the material. Lectures are interesting but tests are super detailed and are lecture heavy/textbook heavy and are still a bit hard despite being open note tests. Great class, would take again, just get ready to take detailed notes for tests.

Alvard was chill and he's a great prof! The class was pretty interesting, there are quests after ever lecture but they take like 10 mins. 3 exams, open note open everything, pretty tough though. U have to go to class because although lecture slides r on canvas they are not easy to follow without him talking it through. go to class and youll be fine

Attendance is a must. Very specific tests, but content is very interesting. Watch videos and read the book.

I'm a bad student and got a 94 on his closed book final exam. The only reason I got a B and not an A in the class is because I didn't study for the first two tests. I got an A by making a study guide with all the definitions of the topics he discussed in class and WENT TO THE TA REVIEW. The review was SO helpful and is why I did well on the final.

Anyone saying Alvard is a bad professor doesnt do their work. That simple. His class is easy, as long as you watch the lectures (actually paying attention) and read the content, there's no way you could fail. There is a lottt of content. Lots of reading, and lots of lecture. BUT its so interesting. He makes it fun. One of the best teachers Ive had.

Great class, easy to get an A in, but VERY time consuming (6+ hours weekly). Tests are open note, but super specific to details in lecture/other class material. Be prepared to take note of quite literally everything he says, and then be tested on 10% of the super specifics. The material is interesting, though, and all pretty easy to understand.

Be ready to take DETAILED notes on the lectures. His questions are often very detailed, so try to take notes on as much as you can throughout lectures. I will say the class is pretty time consuming for a three hour credit. If you find this stuff interesting, you'll enjoy the class, but if you're looking for something easy, I'd steer clear.

Made learning interesting and memorable

Huge fan of Dr. Alvard. This class is absolutely not a cakewalk, so I don't recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and east A; however, the lectures are insanely rich in content and provide students with a deeper understanding of life outside of their borders. It was a treat to be able to take in so much information. Be prepared for a challenge

Dr. Alvard gets a lot of flack, but honestly he is my favorite professor this semester. His classes are not easy, he does not give good grades just for showing up— you HAVE to make an effort. He has a very wry sense of humor, and he gives amazing lectures. If you want an easy A, don't take his class. If you actually want to LEARN? You'll love him.

Professor Alvard is definitely a different kind of guy but he was very nice. I liked his class a lot. I don't know why people are saying his classes have a high work load, besides exams we didn't have many assignments just readings to do and a group presentation.

ANTH205 Online 75% of the course grade was determined by 3 exams, which were somewhat challenging and required thorough understanding and note-taking over small details. However, the open-note format of the exams made double checking questions very easy. The 15 weekly assignments (Quests, 25% of grade) involved finding areas on google earth.

This just in, college students discover that they have to do work in a class they took. Shocking. No seriously, if you watch the lecture videos, do your quests and take notes you will pass the exam. He is very bright and very opinionated and if you engage with the material, you will gain a new nuanced perspective on other cultures as well as ours

As long as you keep up with the lecture videos, take super detailed notes, and keep up with quests the class is not difficult. He is easy to contact with any questions, has responded quickly to email in my experience. Some weeks have a ton of lecture content, makes it difficult to catch up if you get behind on lectures. Do everything early!

I'm going to be honest, the subject material in this class was (at times) very dry and uninteresting. However, Dr. Alvard's lectures and accessibility made all the difference. He is a gifted lecturer, and is more than willing to offer extra help if you are struggling with the course material. He was my favorite professor this year.

The professor is obviously very enthusiastic about the class and even includes his own studies from when he did field work. Lectures are very lengthy but were most of the time fairly entertaining.