nice man, no textbook so kind of confusing, but he really wants to help when you ask for it

Dr.Hanifi is such a nice guy! Topics are very random, but it's not that bad. You'll have to take alot of notes in class VERY quickly. Tests are hard, and don't really reflect the reading, more the class notes. Very little work out of class. Great guy!

He's a nice guy and will really help you out if you go to him. His lectures are boring though ad you really have to take notes and fast. If you study hard and keep up with notes and reading you should be ok.

A very intelligent and caring professor...but there is a ton of information and it is covered VERY QUICKLY. Must be on top of things to succeed: this includes reading, attendance, notetaking, studying, etc.

Dr. Hanifi is a chill dude but his class is pretty hard but its whatever

One of the nicest guys I have ever met. Unfortunately he spits info out at an incredible rate, you have to furiously take notes, and the tests are incredibly hard. He is interesting if you pay close attention, but if you don't you will be lost.

At first I was real worried about this classs. But, if you go to class, take good notes on the vocab and study then you'll do fine. Hanifi will honestly help you with whatever you need. He's willing to make his schedule fit with yours.

He's really a nice guys and gets a bad rap for hard tests...the tests arent so hard if u read the selections, and if you have problems he will really help

THis class is complete lecture. So, no day dreaming, or you'll completely miss something. But, study the Vocabulary and read and you should be ok. Ask for help if you need help. He's teacher's assistant will help you as well. They're both really nice guys

he is a really great professor.people think his tests are hard, but if you go to the review sessions brian (coolest t/a ever!) will help u out with anything so u will do fine. even if u miss something in class, brian will help u out with whatever u miss.

Lectures are hard to follow at times but its nothing that can't be cleared up by talking to him or to his TA. Study sessions are helpful but study the vocab and readings. The tests are tough but I'm not a good test taker and I got a B on the last one.

This class is a great class..if you like history.I'm a history major and I love this class, but if you are not a history major or have little interest in it, you may want to find something else.If you do like history then I highly recommend it, I had fun.

cool guy, totally passionate & knowlegeable about middle east. lectures the whole time, take notes! exams are rough, especially with the arabic words and stuff, lots of memorization necessary.

Easiest history class...Go to review sessions and you will get an A.

You gotta study and go to class but its not so bad. I think hes hot but thats just me. Go to class to learn, I always felt much smarter after I left that class.

He is very kind and helpful, tests not that hard, a lot of reading, goes off subject at times which makes it complicating to take notes. Easy project, curves like no other!! challenging class, very knowledgable

Such an easy class. The test are basically common sense, not to bad. I barely ever read for this class but got an A. If you do the work and a little reading you should be fine. Tends to be boring though, only bad thing.

Dr. Hanifi is my bro. Easiest A I have ever gotten. All you have to do is read the intros to the readings to pass the quizes and study for an hour to get A's on the tests. Doesn't know much about leanfest though.

Like the rater prior to me I agree. Dr. Hanifi does not know much about Leanfest 04, but I have talked with him and he is contemplating a reunion tour in 05 for this big event. Overall Dr. Hanifi is a really great teacher, nice person, and quite funny!

He definitely knows his history, but is not opposed at all to other students opinions. Tests and quizs are fairly easy and straightforward

Dr. Hanifi is awesome! His class can be kinda boring and he talks...really..slowly, but other than that, he's cool and more than willing to help out. Go by his office hours!

Great teacher. One of the nicest professors you will ever have. Tests and quizzes are very easy as long as you study. Easy A as long as you go to class.

Hanifi is all over the place in lectures. I feel like I haven't learned much about History b/c his teaching is often hard to follow. He is one of the nicest professors I've ever had, and his teaching assistant is very helpful. Tests and quizes are a sinch. Novels are interesting..esp Kite Runner

It can be a lot of work but take this class. Nicest guy ever and if Brian is still the TA your set. Don't worry about the readings so much as the notes and the novels. Interesting class, great professor. I went from a C to an A just bc I showed I cared and went to reviews sessions and participated

Shah is gorgeous! His lectures can be boring, but if you print his key terms off Blackboard it will all come together. He thinks tests suck, so he is ridiculously nice about giving you back points on tests, and is SO nice in office hours. LOVE him

HE IS THE MAN!! HONESTLY ALL HIS TEST ARE FROM HIGHSCHOOL HISTORY. GO TO CLASS MOST OF THE TIME AND I JUST DO OTHER HOME WORK, HIS QUIZES ARE GREAT, HES A REALLY NICE GUY AND VERY FLEXIBLE.

This guys pretty cool...tests are pretty hard and theres a lot of reading. sometimes he contradicts himself in class, but overall hes pretty chill. i would take him again.

Hes pretty hot...I didn't mind looking at him for 50 minutes. He is really vague though and its hard to take reliable notes. The quizzes are easy as anything and so are the tests. Id recommend him for someone who really likes history

Hanifi is a really nice guy and his TA Brian is so helpful. His lectures are all over the place and hard to follow but nothing is easier than the quizzes and tests. The kite runner is an amazing book. He does assign some essays that are a pain. Online articles are unecessary for the most part

The Shah is the man. I didn't really do anything but I got a B+ bro. He still doesn't know anything about leanfest, but he is still a real chill professor. He is Shah the Magnificent

Easiest class ever. Definitely take Hanifi... he may not have a great sense of humor, but you will find yourself laughing at the way he emphasizes every word he says. You can entertain yourself. Tests are easy. You don't have to read. It's actually a lot of... fun.

Good professor, especially for history. Although some of the material is tedious and tough to get through, you'll learn a lot. You can tell he's excited about teaching history & the workload is very reasonable. I don't like history very much and he made it quite bearable. Make friends w/ the TA and go to the study review sessions before tests.

Wow! People seem really harsh;I didn't think he was bad @ all. I guess a lot of people just really don't like history. In my opinion he's a good prof & I felt his lectures were very well laid out & organized. He does cover a good amount of info, but he puts note outlines on blackboard so it helps to print those off B4 class. I recommend him!!!

great teacher. very interested in listening to everything a student has to say, interests, hobbies and such.. knows the middle east well and communicates his knowledge to the student precisely. good experience.

I don't think he's as bad as some on here say. He definitely seems more of an anthropologist than historian though. His notes really are quite useless on exams, but it's pretty straight out of the book. He has trouble transitioning his thoughts when he speaks, but I found him interesting. I used to terribly hate history until I had him. He's worth giving a try.

hes actually kind of hot

Definitely not as bad as people say. Definitely a space cadet, but a great guy, always willing to help, and his notes definitely come together as you study them. He's a fair grader with a good sense of humor, but tends to stray off topic, but it's not like he'll kill you with boredom. Keep an open mind and be patient and you'll love it.

My favorite class at JMU so far. Though he can strike some people as abrasive, i didn't find him to be the terror that people claimed him to be. Aside from the obvious "go to lecture and you'll do well" stuff, it helps if you're actually interested in learning about the middle east. Term paper was hard but he was helpful. The final was cake.

He is a really helpful professor and such a nice guy! He really wants to help his students! He has been my favorite JMU professor!! His powerpoints are hard though because they are just random sentences that make no sense to anyone but him. Overall though good professor!!

He was kinda boring, but very knowledgable. His mug didnt hurt to look at though :) Understanding and seemingly helpful.

Tough class but easy teacher! HE gives out so much extra credit that I have a 98% and i got a C on both tests. He is VERY helpful and understanding. Yes the material is hard but he is the one to take.

My favorite professor at JMU! While his lectures can be a little unclear, I've never met an educator who is so concerned about his students learning. He wants students to read more than spoon-feed the info. Received nicest email after I failed 1st test telling me I wasn't a # to him. Gives MAJOR extra credit! Fantastic prof. & wonderful man!

As mentioned before his powerpoints are very vague and its very difficult to take notes. Extensive readings that are always on the test so read the book! he is very understanding and one of the nicest profs i've had at JMU! make sure you take advantage of the many extra-credit opportunities. I recommend him!

I learned SO much in this class. Just be warned, he is not very clear or guided during lectures. So just listen, take good notes, read everything, memorize the study guide and you'll do fine because he gives so much extra credit. overall, really good class!

You will learn in this class. It may seem unorganize and dysfucntional, but in reality the topic, Capitalism is hard to understand. There are so many layers. But the best attribute of this professor is that he actually cares about his studetns.

He's a good teacher, it's just the topic is a hard one to understand. In order to get a good grade you HAVE to read all the assigned readings, which is A LOT. Nice dude though

Fantastic teacher, really wants to help his students out. The reading may seem tough, but the grades even out over the course of the semester. Overall, one of very few passionate professors at JMU

Loved Hanifi. Definitely taking another class with him. SO smart. Very challenging, tons of difficult reading. No textbook. Tests are hard, watch out. Very helpful and very nice- go to office hours! Not an easy A, but totally worth the time and effort if you're POSC or HIST major or MECM minor.

Professor Hanifi is so passionate about what he teaches. He is very nice and helpful in office hours. READ the sections assigned in the books..it helps a lot! he gives a lot of extra credit. I thought i was going to get a B- in the class but ended up with an A!

Over all i love and respected Dr. Hanifi! Lots of reading, fairly difficult exams (except the last i thought it was easy). He might be vague during class so go to his office and he'll clear things out. Show an interest in the class as he takes it to the heart to teach you something new about Afghanistan. If you do the following you're Good to go!

Articles = textbook. Tests are hard but not impossible. He gives you the grade you deserve. If you put in solid effort and work then you'll get a solid grade in the class. Very very very knowledgeable on the subjects he teaches. Bottom-line: take his class

HANIFI IS THE MAN!!!! Take his class! It's a ton of reading and you'll think that it's really hard, but you get tons of extra credit. He's absolutely hilarious; the reading may seem overbearing, but I only read what was necessary to write the papers and got a B overall. Take his class.

I think about the material learned in this class everyday. Dr. Hanifi shows you how to study, read at a college level, and get acquainted with the material. A very down to earth guy who loves what he is teaching; an absolutely brilliant man. Put in the hard work and you'll have a rewarding experience.

Dr. Hanifi taught Capitalism in 2008 and I can still recall the work of Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Fernand Braudel, and Max Weber. This professor is cunning and brilliant; his passionate approach to teaching inspires students. Hopefully, I will serve on a committee with Dr. Hanifi someday. I truly value his professorship at James Madison University.

Hanifi is easily one of the smartest men I have ever met. If you do the readings and take interest in his class, then you'll do fine. There is a lot of stuff to read, but his tests aren't that bad and there's a decent amount of extra credit available. His office hours really help!

First of all his voice is extremely irrating. The work load is insane for a gen-ed, taking notes on 40 page articles that you have to print, and are so increadibly boring, and redundant. He really doesn't know what he's doing. But if you go to office hours he's really nice and will work with you.

Hanifi is a nice guy... he's confusing at times but take good notes and you will be solid. Get the readings done and you'll easily score an A. I love going to class. He's pretty hilarious. Super helpful during office hours.

Hanifi is by far my fav professor so far. He is the most intelligent man I have met and he is so passionate and knowledgeable about the material. Theres ALOT of notes and reading but they are all extremely interesting. Not an easy class but you will learn an immense amount. Work hard for a B, do all readings and take amazing notes, they are graded!

Super knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and very helpful. Lots of work for a gen ed but Its easy to succeed if you do the work. Lets you make cheat sheets for tests

I was stunned to see this man had a rating this low. He is one of my favorite professors I've had here at JMU. The class was challenging, but he was clear and reasonable with his expectations, passionate about the subject matter, and interesting to listen to. Lots of reading, but it's NOT overbearing like some people on here have said. TAKE HIM.

Awesome professor, extremely intelligent. Have him now for GHUM, he gets a little too in depth for a gen ed, but overall the class is a pretty easy A. Have a 93 & 100 on first 2 tests. As long as you read and somewhat pay attention in class you'll be ok. Def would recommend, also gives study guide and lets you bring in notes for tests!

Shah Hanifi is a very smart man. At times he comes off as condescending towards students, but it is never personal. Overall he is the best professor I have had here yet. I stopped reading the book at chapter 3 and still have gotten A's on ever test. Ton of extra credit! If you do not get an A in this class, you are doing something very wrong.

A revisionist historian and a greatly revered specialist in his area. You must be preparred to work in his class. Papers are long, and readings are heavy. But if you're interested in his topic he can teach you more than anyone else. He is very realistic about the course looad and acknowledges that it's heavy, but gives you credit for what you do.

I learned more during Hanifi's class than any other course I have taken at JMU. If you did not have any interest in the region the course is based on you will afterwards. Getting an "A" is attainable as long as you put in proper effort. I think most people that knock him as being hard are just use to skating by in classes with minimal effort.

Hanifi is amazing. He's a little quirky, but his lectures are engaging and very in depth. His specialization is South Asian studies and he is extremely knowledgable on the subject. His quizzes and tests aren't too hard, you can bring in a cheat sheet for both. He puts a big emphasis on note taking and encourages students to ask questions.

Absolutely an amazing professor. He is incredibly intelligent, is a SCHOLAR in what he teaches, very well written. Hilarious in lecture, LOVES camels. YOU WILL READ in this class, be prepared. Definitely helps as tests are solely based on the articles he post in canvas. Tests are easy, but strict writing assignments, really help you develop though!

HE IS AMAZING. this class was the easiest class ive ever taken at JMU and he is such a nice guy. hes kind of weird but it keeps class interesting. you'll read a lot outside of class but he gives a study guide to help and his tests are based off of it and you get to bring a cheat sheet to quizzes and tests. TAKE THIS CLASS.

Amazing revisionist historian. The reason JMU has a Middle Eastern Studies curriculum. Show interest in the topics, ask questions. He's a tough grader on written assignments, so if you aren't a great writer, get help in office hours! Ask him about the work he did on hawalas. Super interesting dude. LOVES CAMELS. RESPECT THE CAMEL.

Awesome teacher. Opportunity for a lot of extra credit. 4 tests 4 quizzes. Have to read for tests. Lectures for quizzes. A lot of reading but very easy if you do the work. Highly recommend

Inspiring, Influential, Interested in teaching you more than just textbook material. You will walk away with insight & wisdom if you know how to pay attention. Most students looking for easy grade. Plenty of extra credit opportunity for this. But read his books & publications. He's not only an academic on the theoretical side, he makes history.

He rubbed me the wrong way at first because he seemed very unclear, but he ended up being one of my favorite professors. He teaches you how to think and analyze reading at a college level, very conceptual. 4 quizzes, 4 exams, pay attention, read, and take good notes! He puts heavy emphasis on note taking. Take him!

Have to keep up with notes while he talks, and read the textbook. You get to use notes for tests and quizzes, and there's no extra 'fluff' assignments. Amazing, well-educated professor with a good sense of humor. Easiest class I've ever taken, but I also learned (and retained) a lot. Interesting class, would recommend to anyone.

His class feels really hard while you're in it but I got a C on an exam & still got an A because of how he grades. We didn't have class for two weeks once because he was in India at a conference about Elephants. You have to read but he gives so much extra credit & you can use notes on the exams. His life story is incredible & he loves camels!

I love this man! I didn't think this course would be interesting but I was wrong. At times, you'll fall asleep during his lectures. But as long you read you'll pass the class. He lets us make a cheat sheet for every quiz and test because there is so much info and yet the questions are very straight forward so just attend class and you'll be golden.

HUM252 with Hanifi.. the class is focused on Southeast Asian Studies. There are a decent number of readings for this class and a lot of material from lectures on quizzes. He really stresses note taking and allows students to have handwritten pages of notes for quizzes and exams (lots of extra credit for quizzes too)

TAKE HIM!!! He is an actual scholar and has accomplished so much. His life story is incredible! He emphasizes note taking a lot and honestly my note taking skills got a lot better by taking this class. Hes really helpful and nice too, take him & you wont regret it!!

4 quizzes on lectures, 4 tests on textbook readings. Take him! It's honestly not a difficult class, but the lectures get boring and the readings become tedious. Lots of extra credit on quizzes. He does the class by points instead of percentages which ends up helping a lot. He gives study guides with all of the terms that will be on the test too.

4 exams, 4 quizzes, with a lot of extra credit questions for the quizzes. You can bring notes for both, so if you do the reading (exams) and show up to class for the lectures (quizzes) it's an easy A- at least. You can only miss 3 classes before your grades is affected. He is a very intelligent scholar who helped me become a better student overall.

Dr. Hanifi was a really great professor that really cared about helping his students pass. The course was definitely reading heavy, so you do actually have to do work to pass, but getting an A is definitely doable.

Professor Hanifi takes pride in the course material he is teaching and adds a personal feeling to it by really getting involved in the emotional stance of the material.

Prof. Hanifi is a great professor that really cares about what he teaches. He is a scholar and has had a very successful life with what he does! Although he is a great professor, the work outside of class is very difficult and it is a LOT of reading. The material is pretty tricky and I often struggled. Be prepared to STUDY ahead of time!

Professor Hanifi is a great professor. He cares very much about his students and is very accommodating. For every test and quiz, you may use a designated amount of notes which is very very helpful. The reading outside of class is not very easy and a bit hard for me to understand. Overall, he was a great professor. Definitely recommend!

Very passionate about subject material. Cares about students and their success. Attendance is mandatory ;( so don't skip.

The amount of extra credit given is crazy. I literally got a B on every single test and quiz and ended with a high A. This class can be boring, but as long as you are willing to read and take notes you will get an easy A.

I love Dr. Hanifi as a professor but the workload can get to be a bit unmanageable around mid-term time with LOTS of reading (multiple chapters with at least 15-20 pages each). The wording of the text can make it difficult to get through without losing focus at points. He is very passionate about S. Asia + is well-respected in his field of study.

whole class is graded off a quiz and test for each of four units, every class is a lecture, each absence is minus 2% do NOT take this at 8am. quizzes are easy and half extra credit and tests are hard and material gets more boring towards the end of the course but everything is open note. all work can be done a couple nights before assessments.

This class was interesting, but his lectures can be soo long and tedious, he sometimes goes off topic. Hes very knowledgeable and passionate. There were quizzes and tests on each unit based on readings and a book, and you can bring x amount of sheets of notes to the test. Each quiz and test has a lot of extra credit questions which help soo much!

Prof Hanifi is a very kind. genuine guy who is extremely passionate about what he is teaching. However, I have him at 8am, and boy is he boring. I sleep through every lecture just because I am not interested in anything he is saying. Readings are a lot of work, and you have to take notes but the tests/quizzes are openbook. He gives extra credit too

Just read as he asks and take notes and you'll get an A.

Four quizzes followed by four extra credit quizzes and four tests. NOTE-TAKING IS CRUCIAL! He uses a point system so the grade on Canvas isn't entirely accurate. Lecture heavy and difficult to pay attention to. However, he is really passionate about his work and teaching this course. Oh, and there's A LOT of reading...

Professor Hanifi is very passionate about what he teaches, however be prepared to read and take notes. His tests and quizzes are open-note, so if you take good notes you'll do well.

Dr. Hanifi is very passionate about his class, but there were multiple different textbooks and we had to read them all. Not an easy A by any means, but he wants us to do well. He is super sweet, but you have to put in the effort.

Very passionate and inspiring professor, who loves what he teaches and enjoys hearing students feedback on what they have read. There is a lot of reading, but overall a very good class/professor.

I love this professor. to start i couldn't find the course but im taking hist150 with him and its great. We have 2, 30-40 page readings and a quiz on the readings every week, along with essay on a video every week. it definitely a lot of work but its so worth it. easy grader. will let you redo if problems arise just communicate! great professor!

Everything is graded on the reading! - don't have to pay for a book though. I loved this class and all of the readings were manageable. This was a gen ed for me and way out of my usual courses but he is a great professor, really cares, and responds very well to any/all feedback. Kind of eccentric but very enjoyable to have. Genuinely one of my favs

I genuinely really love him and his class. The class is a lot of reading but as long as you stay on top of it, it's not bad. His lectures just backs up and clarifies what was in the book. He cares about his students and clearly wants success. Every time I've had a question he's taken the time to give me an answer and make sure I really understand.

I had Dr. Hanifi a few years ago, but I always felt bad for his RMP. Yes, he is a bit unorganized, but he is also so caring, and I learned so much from him. If you can work with his chaos, his courses are extremely fulfilling and worthwhile.