Professor Caren is a very sweet and caring teacher. He requires us to attend book clubs but the books were pretty interesting. Also he provides us with study guides so if you do them, you will be fine on the exams.

Neal is adorable & such a sweetheart. Even though there are a lot of assignments to do like reading due every class etc, it was not that hard. He assigns book clubs that meet a few times throughout the semester which is a fun way to meet other people in the class which you do not normally get to do in a large lecture class.

Great guy. He's a little dorky but very sweet. His class is not hard, but there is a good amount of work to do. Reading the textbook is how you learn the information. The class is just small group activities but it counts for participation.

Caren definitely makes a large lecture class interesting. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this class, and it was definitely not as difficult as the rating might make you believe. There's a lot of busy work, which is fair, but it's easy, and usually not time consuming. Exams are basically the study guide, so if you study, you'll do well.

He's a great professor and for SOCI 101 being a big lecture class, he makes the class seem king of small because of the many group activities. I would definitely take another one of his classes.

Neal Caren is the one of the nicest professors I've had at UNC. He genuinely cares and even though his class has a lot of assignments he makes sure not to heavily weigh your grade on one exam which allows for plenty of forgiveness. As long as you go to class and do the work you will do well.

Literally one of the easiest classes I've took so far. Why are the reviews so bad? literally his class is sooooooo easy. Yes, there is a lot of work but the grading is so lenient it's impossible to fail. Out of all the 101 classes I've took so far. This is by FAR the best choice you can ever make. Maybe another teacher is better? but he's chill.

Caren is a boring lecturer but he's funny and makes the class easy. This class has weekly readings, a couple bigger assignments, a few online quizzes, book clubs and he monitors attendance through the check in app. Overall, it is a super easy class if you do your work and briefly skim the textbook and the three books! There's also extra credit.

LOTS of busy work/ reading but as long as you just do it, you'll do great. graded on a lot of different things & he gives curves/drops lowest grades. doesn't take a lot of effort, just a lot of time. Caren is funny & keeps lectures interesting. I only read 1 of the 3 books & still made an A. A lot of the stuff on quizzes/test are common sense

Professor Caren was great! The workload could be a lot sometimes but it really furthers your understanding of the topic. Book groups were a thing in this class but I enjoyed the books assigned for the most part. Overall a great class to take!

Not really sure how I got a B in this class because there are SO many extra credit opportunities. Caren is an awesome professor and I would probably take him again if I get the chance. He is very accessible and willing to help! However, there is a lot of extra/busy work done in this course and some of his lectures can be kind of boring.

Definitely lots of busy work, but overall I found the course interesting enough that it made it bearable. The lectures are generally interesting, I really liked the books we read, and lots of extra credit opportunities. Overall a solid class.

Took his class for a PH credit and am so happy I did. He handled the COVID 19 shift to online learning so well. He really cares about his students.

Literally the easiest into class to exist. Caren was so accommodating for our COVID semester and allowed multiple drops for each type of assignment. Homework can be corrected until you get a 100. Everything else is graded pass/fail. If you put in effort it's easy to make 100's on the assignments. Interesting class with fun films, too!

Dr. Caren was very easily contacted, as well as the TA's. His grading criteria was very clear and the assignments were mostly busy work but were still very interesting. Caren gave the option to skip certain assignments and dropped the lowest two grades for each assignment type. He was very caring and understanding of the stress of this semester!

I absolutely loved taking this class with Professor Caren. The assignments were all self-explanatory and easy to do well on. I also really liked the way the class was structered. We had an optional lecture on Tuesday and watched a film on Thursday. I definitely recommend taking a class with him!!

Loved this class. Optional Tuesday lectures that I attended in the beginning and stopped going to at the end but still did well. Netflix Documentaries on Thursdays! Multiple assignments could be dropped, with clear grading. We didn't have to read books like past classes since he switched to docu's. Very easy class.

Kept class interesting during online instruction with having us watch a film on Netflix each week that pertained to that week's concept. Normal amount of assignments and an easy A! Zooms once a week but were optional and were posted online if you wanted to watch later. Has his own website for the course keeping it separate from Sakai which I liked!

Dr. Caren was extremely accommodating with assignments and work due to COVID. The Tuesday lectures were recorded and usually pretty enjoyable. We also watched a documentary every week which always ended up being pretty good. The homework didn't take too long and the assignments were a pass/fail type.

Neal Caren is the best choice for Soci 101. He did an amazing job with online classes and we were connected without too much lecture. We had lots of projects and opportunities to apply sociology in movie discussions and case studies. Super interesting and easy and Prof. Caren is a funny, caring, understanding guy! Great class.

Drops lowest quizzes/assignments in all categories. Very understanding during pandemic. Actually cares that students engage with/learn material. Great online class. Options for students who cannot attend class due to work or other obligations. 11/10. Easy A if you do what is expected most of the time.

Super easy class. Made one lecture async and we watched a movie for the other every week. Just get all the assignments done and the midterm/final will be a breeze. He's super accommodating and flexible--I took this class during the pandemic. Awesome guy too.

This class was my favorite this semester! Prof Caren is super accommodating and makes class interesting with a film every week. You get to drop assignments and some are graded P/F so you really never stress about your grade. Tests are easy; some assignments are more time consuming but still not hard. Definitely got me interested in sociology!

I loved this class. Very easy A. Consisted of one lecture per week and an interesting documentary each Thursday. Very laid back and easy material. Basically just show up, do the few and easy assignments, and you'll do well. Caren is good at lecturing and seems like a really chill guy. This class fulfills a gen-ed so I 100% recommend.

Neal is awesome. Best class I took this semester. His ability to make it interesting with documentaries each week is something I have yet to see in other classes. Is very clear about what to do for each assignment. Super Easy A. Good lecturer too and can be funny. Very easy to get in touch with. I really suggest taking this class!

This class was interesting and assignments were easy, although some were time-consuming. Class was watching a movie and tying it to course concepts every Thursday (if taken on a Tuesday/Thursday schedule). He makes the material extremely interesting, only downside is that grading depends on which TA you get assigned.

SOCI 101 was an amazing class to take with neal. as long as you met the requirements for the assignments, did well on the quizzes on sakai, and participated in the discussions; you'll get a good grade. 10/10

Massive lecture, interesting content but midterms are tricky if you don't study the right things. Hard to have a connection with your Professor if you're with 350+ other students. Read the bolded terms in the textbook if you're short on time, do the Inquizitives, and always shoot for a high pass on the projects. Definitely show up to class.

Professor Caren is a delightful professor. He's kind, funny, and does his best to keep students engaged during lecture. However, much of what is required to succeed in this course comes from the textbook, not the lectures. As long as you do the required readings, the class shouldn't be too difficult.

Prof Caren is an extremely nice professor. He chooses interesting documentaries to watch and is funny with the lectures. He is well respected by the class and there is no way you can get less than a B in this class unless you genuinely do not do anything. Love him!

SUCH a great professor. Super easy class if you just do the PRACTICE EXAMS MULTIPLE TIMES. Some of the exam answers are on Quizlet if you know where to look; hint use practice exam problems to search. Great and engaging professor. DON'T READ TEXTBOOK. Complete waste of time, j skim for answers and study vocabulary.

Professor Caren is an AMAZING guy. His classes are fun, entertaining and thought provoking. However, the tests are disproportionately hard compared to his lectures, so be prepared to not do well on those versus other assignments. Overall, highly suggest his course.

I really loved Professor Caren. He was engaging in class and had very clear expectations. His tests are not hard if you take the practice exams he posts a couple of times (there are infinite questions). The applications every week are not hard ... I don't think they are actually graded for content, got 100 on all of them.

pretty easy as long as you do the work and study, many movie days and few papers and case studys but nothing too difficult

Assignments have clear grading criteria and are relatively easy although time consuming. Tests are pretty hard, definitely need to put a good amount of time into studying.

Super knowledgeable and great at facilitating a hands-off experience where students can truly immerse themselves in the simulation. Will help when you're stuck. A lot of reading is required to truly understand the material, and you have to put in a lot of effort, but it's worth it. Grading not bad. Class is different, but my favorite one I've taken

Prof Caren is funny and his lectures always have something that make me laugh. Multiple extra credit opportunities. Know the key terms/do the practice exams before exams and you should do well. Not a hard class to succeed in if you put in some effort and understand the material, was never stressed about this class.

Dude is hilarious and clearly knows a lot about sociology. Assignments are fairly easy to complete and have very clear grading criteria. Has offered extra credit opportunities throughout the semester as well. Tests are pretty difficult so I recommend actually studying for a couple days in advance. Very helpful and has interesting classes as well.

I was super nervous about Caren's 274 section because the teaching method was so unusual (you have to take on the perspective of historical figures) but I learned so much and this class was something I looked forward to. Dr. Caren is super chill and we had a pizza party during our final if that says anything. Take this class!!!

Neal Caren, I love you so much. Best professor I've ever had hands down. I took this for PH credit and had so much fun. Truly got to be me in this class and have never had a better time. Neal literally catered IP3 for our final... king. Easy A if you put in a little bit of effort and honestly such a rewarding class... gonna miss this class so much

Grading criteria is super clear. You can get a decent grade without putting in much effort. Lecture can be interesting and Neal is knowledgeable. The exams are likely the worst part of the class but even then, the reviews and Quizlet help with studying. Overall, not a bad course if you're looking for an interesting elective that isn't too rigorous.

Dr. Caren is great! The exams are the hardest part of the class, so definitely take the practice tests many times. However, there are a lot of other assignments to balance out exam grades. The final exam included questions from the midterms, so definitely go back and review those questions when the final comes along. Very knowledgeable guy.

Professor Caren is super nice and easy to talk to when you have issues. The homework and projects are super easy and interesting you just have to make sure to plan ahead for them. Participation is very important in this class because it counts for your attendance.

The coursework (textbook quizzes and research applications) set you up really nicely for the tests. He drops at least one assignment from each category and gave back points on each exam so your grade will be really boosted by the end of the semester. Utilizes PollEverywhere throughout the lecture for attendance credit.

Prof. Caren is great. Lectures were sometimes boring but he tried to make them fun and interactive. He gives tons of opportunities to get a good grade and all assignments were pretty easy. Short quizzes & papers. He posts possible midterm/final questions and gives plenty of study resources. Would highly recommend this course for an easy credit.

Gonna keep this short and simple. Prof Caren is the best teacher possible for SOCI101 and if he teaches it, take him. Projects are basically graded for completion and exams are pretty straightforward and if they weren't he gives us points back. Barely studied and got near-100.

Profesor Caren loves what he teaches and it shows in his lectures. He makes class engaging especially when we watch movies and genuinely wants his students to succeed. At first, the class may seem like it has lots of work but it is very spaced out and doesn't take long to complete the assignments. I would totally recommend taking a class with him.

This class was very easy yet very interesting! If you are looking for an easy elective, I definitely recommend this class. As long as you take the practice exams, study keywords, and memorize the vocabulary, you will do well in this class. The documentaries that were sprinkled throughout the semester were also a nice break from lectures.

Professor Caren is great! You have to do a little bit of work for this course, but it isn't terrible. For exams, make a Quizlet with the terms and do the practice exams, and you will do fine. Honestly just try your best in the course and do the extra credit, and you can get an A easily.

Caren is hilarious! I loved coming to class everyday and reading the textbook for his class. The material was so interesting, and we watched movies pretty often in class. Great professor, I already signed up for his other class because I loved him so much. He curves every test and will drop lots of things at the end of class, hard to not get an A

Highly recommend. Class was chill.

SOCI 274 is the best class I have ever taken!!! The way the course is designed is very interactive and really really fun. Dr. Caren is interesting, knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and very reasonable. There can feel like a lot of reading at times, but honestly if you're engaged in the class you'll do great.

Dr. Caren was fine. He was funny and witty. This class, for me, was kinda difficult. The papers were easy, but its veryyy participation heavy. I'm sure it was easier for people more extroverted and social, but for introverts, I think it can be anxiety inducing and exhausting. Just understand what you are signing up for; its almost an acting class.

This is by far the BEST class I've ever taken. It was so interactive and engaging and everyone in my class got so close. I never missed this class because it was that fun to go to. Prof. Caren is hilarious and super chill. If you try a little bit you'll get an A. There is a public speaking component but Caren creates a really safe environment.

Such an easy class and I learned so much. He was super interesting in lectures, would recommend to anyone. Tests weren't very hard either.

This guy goes out of his way to make studying for exams as easy as possible and hands out extra credit. Really a nice and hardworking professor. The research applications (8 per class, lowest score dropped) are kind of a lot of work but not difficult or heavily graded.

About as easy as a gen ed you can take. Exams can be aced simply by spending 30min on the cover quilt. The textbook very clearly tries to influence you to think like a Marxist though

Just dont consider any other options, he is GOAT!!! His assignments and class both are fun. For someone who really struggles to go to class I have been going every class!! I just love being in this class

G.O.A.T Professor. Definitely for the memory books!

The BEST professor. He's amazing, I love his class.

I love Prof. Caren. His lectures are sometimes boring but more often than not fun. The assignments are very easy, and you don't have to read the textbook. There are 2 midterms and a final but he'll replace your midterm with the final if you do better. I would highly recommend him to everyone!

Wow. One of the funniest and nicest professors of all time. Tons of easy extra credit. The only downside is having to write about 3600 words of "research applications" throughout the semester. But even as someone who hates writing, take this class.The exams are easy and he made a custom quiz website so you can study for the exams in no time at all.

Neal Caren is THE SWEETEST prof you will ever take at UNC. Everyday, he arrives so excited to teach and engage with students. He is extremely knowledgeable and makes his course engaging with online polls and halftime quiz games (i got to play soci family feud on LDOC). Easy homework, bi weekly assignments, 1 midterm exam, 1 final exam.

This is the goat of Sociology 101. We all got 100s on our last mideterm since more than 60% of the class didn't take it(He stated if more than 60% of students get a question wrong it will be given full points). Not much work other than Research Apllications and Inquizzitives. Pollev is used for attendance. Overall show up and it's an easy A.

Great guy -- gave everyone a free 100% on a midterm!

One of the best professors at UNC. Take Soci 101 with Professor Caren, you won't regret it.

He is so funny and I would retake his class. Although my friends who had other professors for Soci 101 said their exams were easy, which is the downside to taking his, I found his exams to be challenging after spending days studying to prepare. However, if you follow the criteria for the homework, you get a 100, so it's a pretty easy course.

Professor Caren is an amazing professor with such a welcoming personality. I took this course to fulfill my minor, and it was a great class with wonderful people in it as well. We have speeches to give, but the process leading up to the speeches is structured so well that you truly shouldn't feel scared. Take his class, you'll love it!

This was one of my most favorite classes I've taken at UNC. While you do have to put work in in reading, getting to know your character, and writing and memorizing speeches, this class truly helps you become a better public speaker. There is no judgement and the more you engage with the material and design of the class, the more fun it is.