Harlan, Craig  

Prof. Harlan's teaching style is what one might call a bit manic. If you are tired of all those worn-out tenured teachers that couldn't care less about what they teach, then take Harlan. After taking his class, I learned about twice as much about American culture and ideals then i had previously. Lots of reading required, but it isn't too bad, and he constantly bumps his test dates back.

I really liked this teacher. He stresses ideals of history and not so much the dates and times. you do have to read three or four short books (150-200pp) during the quarter, but his teaching style is worth it.

A good professor. Straighforward lecture style. Prof. Harlan will require you read three novels instead of a history text and will give essay exams on each. Howver, I felt that I learned more from this class than I would have learned in a more "traditional" history class.

This was one of the best history classes I've ever taken. There is about 1 novel to read a week, but the class is well worth it. The teacher put so much emotion into his lectures that it made the class interesting and fun.

His lectures are at times incoherent. On various occasions he assigned reading, claiming the student needs only a brief understanding of the material. Then on the test he expects the student to have detailed descriptions of each of these readings. He is not very clear regarding the extent to which the material must be understood. Taking notes is a nightmare because he has no format to the class. One positive note is that his class is half interesting.

I loved this guy! He made history sooo entertaining. This teacher has a passion for what he teaches. Go to class, you won't know where the time went. The two (not cumulative) tests contained short answer questions and one essay question. These questions were fairly broad and general, and easy to answer. Sign up for this one if you are sick of boring teachers.

Professor Harlan teaches history like you have never seen history before. He jumps from point to point and taking notes is almost impossible. He tells students to only worry about the main points, but then tests on the absolute specifics. His reading quizes test more on whehter or not you memorized every word, more so than seeing if u read the material. He assigns about one novel to read a week,(~200 pgs.) and gives a few reading quizes. The worst thing about the class is that there are only two tests. He also uses a curve that somehow allows for no A's whatsoever, 2 or 3 B's, and about 90% of the class with C-'s and D's.(Even if you had 85% of the questions correct) He is not too helpful in office hours either. This class is very abstract and it is unique in that respect. Harlan makes the class semi-exciting and that is the only good thing about the class that i can think of.

Professor Harlan is a very approachable, nice guy. He makes history fun as well as captivating, you won't fall asleep in his class. He assigns weekly reading (~1 novel/week) and gives eaasy quizes on them. Besides quizes, the only other points are the midterm and final. Both were pretty challenging, but there is a huge curve, so it would be tough not to pass them. Getting an A is a totally different story though. In order to do really well in the class, you have to keep up on notes daily and try to memorize everything that he lectures on.

Mr. Harlan was soooooo into his lectures! He made the time fly by, and kept my attention. The books we read for class were all fiction, yet depicted the time period he was discussing, and were all extremely interesting. Some of the scenes in the stories were quite graphic, and at times I had to put down the book and catch my breath. He gives one Mid-term and one Final, which was the hardest part of the class. He also gives reading quizes on the books we read, but those were easy, and pretty much gave us extra points. Definately take Harlan's History 204 class, go to every lecture and study your notes hard for the Mid-term and the Final!

Prof. Harlan is an awesome guy with so much passion for what he's teaching you can't help but enjoy this class. There's no textbook, instead you read about 4 short novels, which are very interesting and a nice break from the monotony of a regular textbook. The grading consisted of a midterm, final, and a reading quiz on each book you read. Reading quizzes are very objective, and really easy if you read the material before hand, which isn't asking a whole lot. The midterm and final were short answer (very objective),and an essay-straight from lecture. Take good notes, because there's no text to fall back on. Study your notes so you know them well and you'll do great on the tests. I really enjoyed going to this class, Harlan made it interesting and the hour flew by.

Prof. Harlan is an extremely great lecturer; he is approachable and very easy to get along with. I found him to be an honest and fair grader, although you are required to do the reading for the class it is fairly easy and takes no time. You should be prepared to attend class as he does give notes although he does post notes on line they don't include all of the material covered in class. There is only one midterm in his class and I suggest you know the material and are able to explain it well, as the test is in essay form. The Final follows the same outline. He does have quizzes on the books you are required to read these can really help your grade if you are boarder line. I would recommend taking a class from Prof. Harlan any day he makes class interesting and relates the subject to our everyday lives.

Craig Harlan loves History and it shows in his lectures. I must appologize however, because I took his class late at night I was usually pretty tired and had a dificult time staying awake. This is no discredit to Harlan's teaching style. He wants to make sure that his tests are what we expect them to be and even goes so far as to take suggestions from teh class as to what kind of test it should be (short answer or essay) There are only two tests (a true midterm and a final), the final not being cumulative. The books he had us read (5 novels all about 200 pages) were all very interesting and opened my eyes to issues I was not always aware of. Overall this class is great and he encourages class participation.

Mr. Harlan throws around totally inflated phrases like "racial misogyny" all through his lectures. He is entertaining and lively, but half the time I have no idea what he's talking about. He speaks in abstract terms and then expects you to either a) reiterate what he said or b) somehow put them into concrete paragraphs in an essay. And speaking of the essays, basically his T.A. reads them all and gives them "A" "B" or "C" labels. He's a nice guy and likes you if you agree with him, but his grading scale is all messed up (No percentages, 3 points for a B, 4 for an A). This class should be renamed "History of how people viewed God." It was totally not focused on dates or battles, which appealed to me, but beware, you have to read 5 novels, which he'll give you about 3 day's notice before the quiz (if he remembers). An entertaining class.

I loved this class, partly due to the material covered, but mostly because Harlan is a passionate teacher and he kept me interested in the material. I will admit that he does go off topic, and there is a lot of reading, but come on, you have to love the guy.

Dr. Harlan is simply the best professor I've had at Cal Poly. His passion for history is seen in his deep and intellectually stimulating lectures. There is no boring textbook, only four assigned novels. I feel I have learned more from him than from any other professor I have had thus far. Even though I am not a history major, I would take anything he teaches.

This guy is very biased. He is anti-religion, and I don't care except that he makes it a point to keep saying so all the time. His class is very different from all the other hist 204 classes. It's not history; it's just how he thinks the general mind set was during different periods. We have to read 6 novels. I havent taken a test yet so wish me luck. This guy's bias is annoying he is obsessed with death and sex. And he wears the same exact clothes (no kidding) every single single day. Oh and when someone points something out, he just says,"yeah, yeah" and then ignores it. Seems like he's not very knowledgable of any of this stuff.

Harlan is very enthusiastic about this subject and is very knowledgable, although I found it hard to understand what he was getting at part of the time. You are required to read 5 books and take a quiz on each, the quizes are only worth 5pts. The midterm and final are what make up your grade. It is all essay form and I was very dissapointed with his style of grading. I went into the final with an A and ended up with a C+, I do not understand how. A fellow student tried to explain what he had told her about his way of grading, but it confused me. All in all a good class, but don't expect an A...........

GREAT TEACHER!!! Had him as a freshman and was the best teacher i've ever had in my life. He's a deep teacher and makes you think a lot. Got me really interested in history, but i'm an engineer right now so i'm going to keep that goin, but other then that..... awesome teacher. When most of you freshman have to take hist 204 take either HARLAN or KOENINGER, both awesome teachers and you can't ask for much more then they deliver

Craig Harlan has got to be one of the most interesting professors i have ever had. He is witty and his teaching approach is eccentric but good. I would definitely recommend anyone to take his course.

The enthusiasm that this proffesor brings to this class is amazing. Dr. Harlan brings a passion to history that is admirable. He gives essay midterms, in which he asks you to explain what people thought and felt in a certain time in history. Dr. Harlan gives entertaining lectures and always appears excited to be in class.

Harlan is a cool teacher and you never have to go to his classes to get a semi good grade,

He is very enthusiastic and passionate about his work. It helps to learn the material when the teacher is actually happy to be there. He takes an un-bias aproach to all the material which is taught. He leaves it up to you to make you own decisions.

He had an extreme passion for his teachings. I enjoyed his class, but you do need to take good notes to get a good grade. We had to write essays for his midterm and final, but if you know your notes, then you should be ok. Have fun with this teacher!

I was (graduated) an electrical engineering student and I practically have to live in a box. Needless to say, although my major courses were interesting and I actually found them to be fun, they did not provoke as much thought as Dr. Harlan's class. He lectures with great passion and is interested in dialogue. What I found interesting about this man's style is that he could really give a rat's ass about specific dates, etc. That's what The History Channel is for. Instead, Harlan is more interested in certain attitudes that existed during specific eras of U.S. History. For those of you that want to know if he's an easy 'A' or 'B'. Then read further. If you're worried about his tests, don't be. He gives you the topics nearly a weak in advance to write about. Show up to class and take a few notes. In fact, you don't need to attend class because he provides them to you via his webpage in the form of a MS Powerpoint presentation. Harlan will tell you this on the first day. Facts are good, and he'll want to know what you learned about them, but the key word is "learn". Although they're important, what he really wants is for you to develop an attitude that is supported by these "facts". Also, you'll have to read ~5 short novels which are based upon certain eras. The last one is ~500 pages long, but that's not too bad if you get started early. Don't do what I did and read the last novel two days before the quiz. Overall, I rate him as a good professor.

Okay, maybe I'm the only one, but I would only recommend Harlan to someone who 1. Loves History a lot and 2. Loves slightly neurotic profs who sometimes can't clearly explain things. Don't get me wrong, he is by no means a BAD prof. but I won't take another class with him. You have to read 5 novels, with quizzes on each, but if you read them, they're easy that was my favorite part of the class. And then you have the mid-term and final. My best advise is IF you have time, make sure you do all the practice mid-term / final prompts before the exam. I mean sit down and write an essay and make it work and flow but most importantly cover as much stuff on it as you can. Harlan is looking for the fact you spent some time thinking about the subject and have your own opinons about it, etc. The same practice prompts were used on both midterm and final - so if you do it at home, you'll be ready for it in class. So to those of you who like "passionate" nutty profs - knock yourselves out. For those of you who don't really like history and are taking it to get a GE done would prefer an A - eh, try somewhere else first. He's not bad, but not worth the headache. I would almost rather have a class that had dates and crap like that I think...not a prof who thinks everything is sexual in nature, and where everything is "exactly right!".

YOU MUST TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!! This was my favorite class so far at Cal Poly and I would love to take another class from Harlan. He is passionate which makes you passionate about the subject too. Not to mention it is different from typical history classes! In this class you get to read novels and don't have a text book. In addition, the classes are really interesting and the essays really make you think and make connections with all the material you are given. If I were you I would most definatealy take this class not only for a GE requirement but what you get out of it. Harlan works really hard to make his students of what really goes on in the United States and what has happened in our history. Not to mention his section on terrorism in the US is really interesting and helped me really understand and relate to what is going on. Take this class! You'll thank yourself for it!

I enjoyed Prof. Harlan's class a lot. However, let me warn you - to get a high grade on the midterm & final, be sure to put in as much information from the lecture and outside reading. Do not take one or two large points and expand from them, list all the points, no matter how small/unimportant to you they may seem and incorporate them into your essay. Always be sure to mention the outside reading - and for bonus points read the not assigned by recommended readings (as found on his website). His lectures are wonderful - I don't remember falling asleep in any of them, which says a lot. He cares about the students and his subjects. Very passionate, which we all know is very rare. Take this class, but don't slack off or it could nip you later. Highly recommended.

I really enjoy Dr. Harlan. For something I thought was going to be a "blah" class, he sure made it interesting. He is very animated and grades on the overall concepts and lessons of history rather than dates and stuff. He likes to say that you should not "lose sight of the forest" when studying this. All of his lectures are online, and his midterms are pretty similar every year. Be prepared to read a book every 2 weeks or so and be quized on them. There are 2 tests (midterm 5th week and a final). To get a good grade, pay attention to the lecture, and just go see him in his office hour once or twice before a test to talk about your essay questions. He's a really down to earth professor which makes him real approachable, and you talk about the material while he slurps down his smoothie. If you're taking this class, I don't see anything wrong with taking Dr. Harlan.

His lectures were very interesting. No textbook- we just read novels. But don't take this class if gruesome books scare you. We read one where the guy sleeps with his dead wife. I know someone who just couldn't finish it because the book was so depressing and gross. The midterm and final were in-class essays. You had to basically recite his lectures back to him and then add a bit about your opinion. He told us that he can completely respect someone who doesn't know any history at all. They can still pass the class. They can still be a good citizen.

Prof Harlan was great! I definitely recommend this class to anyone, even if you don't have to take this class. We read 5 really great books and didn't have a textbook. He was very outgoing and truely made class enjoyable. Try and get him as a teacher and you'll actually go to class.

Very good teacher, but there's a lot of reading. You will learn more than the grade shows

Harlan loves history. He is very enthused about his lectures, once he gets going he cant stop. However he seems to be biased about certain topics, which i thought made it kind od interesring to listen to. But overall his lectures are full of information so you'll be writing notes all the time! There are only 2 tests, which to me were full of memorizing. The only really bad thing about the clas is that you have to read 4 novels. And i hate reading but if you want u can find cliffnotes somewhere and he is very approachable for help.

If you don't like to read, then you might want to avoid this class; if you like a good read, take this class. He assigns 5 books to read, and I really enjoyed all 5, some more than others I guess. In terms of tests, there were 5 reading quizzes, worth 4 points each. Do the reading, and you'll pass the reading quizzes, no sweat. 2 tests, worth 40% of your grade each (100 pts total I guess). These are based on lecture notes and some additional assigned reading of articles, etc. Harlan seems to be a very fair grader: if you can show you have at least some idea of what you are talking about, he'll give you the points. He might grade on a curve, I'm not sure. I'd like to say that this was a really enjoyable class. Harlan is a cool guy, and his lectures are fun. His enthusiasm for the material is contageous, and the subject matter in the class was interesting, I thought (especially the contemporary stuff - LBJ, Clinton, Bush, War on Iraq). He is good with office hours, and even gives you his home phone number to call if you have any questions or whatever. So, if you enjoy History, or even if you don't and you need a GE requirement filled, odds are you'll like this teacher.

He's a little weird and his lectures seem to really drag sometimes. Overall, I think the class was OK. I should have just taken the class for credit but oh well.

Harlan seemed like a confused old guy. His lectures were extremely difficult to stay attentive to, and he would often wander into other unrelated topics. Overall, he was so vague about some topics that it was hard to study for this class. I would recommend this class if you are really into history, especially boring history, and would prefer to try to comprehend vague notions rather than memorize dates and places and be done with it. We had to read 5 or so different books, several of them really distasteful (graphic sex scenes, voilence, etc). Then we had easy tests on those about once a week. The midterm and final were difficult. I was really happy to recieve a passing grade on those, since most were not so lucky. On the final almost all the questions were on some random New York Times articles we were supposedly supposed to have read. I hadn't read ANY of them, and so I BSed the entire final, and still came out with a B. Harlan doesn't take the time to get to know any of his students, he just comes in a ten after the hour and starts to lecture. He had these powerpoint lectures which were on the internet, but didn't really help because of the vagueness. The good thing was that there wasn't any homework except for reading the books (he did assign a 500 page book over Thanksgiving break though). I would not recommend Harlan as a professor. His class was confusing and vague.

Harlan is a really crazy guy! Yet it makes the clas crack up. As weird as he is, he is a really cool teacher. Soooo smart!! The class has a lot of novels to read but if you do that and go to class everyday it is easy.

If you take history 207 make sure that you get Prof. Harlan. I loved this class! Instead of making you memorize dates and all the boring stuff Harlan makes the class interesting by just wanting you to form your own opinion on events that have occured in the past. He doesn't use a text book and has the class read 5 novels instead (I only read 2 of them and still got an A)which he gives you a 4-question quizz on. Basically if you read the book or at least know the plot details the quizzes are a breeze. He also gives a midterm and a final. Both are made up of two parts: short answer, which consists of him giving you a topic and you writing as much as you know about it; and an essay portion that he gives you potential topics to beforehand. He says that he doesnt want to test to see what his students don't know but instead find out what they've learned. He even lets you decide if the short answer or essay is weighted more in your grade! He can be a bit scatterbrained at times, but the class is so interesting that it makes it worthwhile. If you can I would definitely reccamend taking his class if you get the chance!

Great teacher, just look over notes for final and midterm. and mention as many outside readings as you can in his essays. its hard to get him to commit to arrange different final exam times or appointments but if you get a bunch of people to email him, he'll eventually follow through.

This guy is an aweful teacher. He makes you write a ton of papers that are completely useless and then makes fun of how you write like he knows English. You need to avoid him.

YOU HAVE TO READ 5 LONG BOOKS!!! The work load absolutely sucked and I did horrible in other classes because I was trying to pass this one. He is a pretty cool guy but the work sucks so much, you will want to kill yourself unless you really enjoy reading long boring novels. If you have trouble sleeping, you should take this class because those books will put you straight to sleep. I'm an History Major and I enjoy almost all history but this class was a bore unless the teacher was not talking about the material, which he often does so you have to learn by yourself a lot. Read the books if you take this class but if you can, AVOID HARLAN AT ALL COSTS.

He's an easy teacher. Everything is straight foward and direct. Theres no tricks, just as long as you read the books. He tells you that you probably can pass the class without going, but if you want to pass with ease go to class everything is pretty much given to you. He gives you midterm questions during lectures, and final exam hints. He wants you to pass the class, and he loves what he teaches. His excitement makes you wonder.....why is history so interesting!?

Prof. Harlan is an awsome teacher. I wasn't too excited about this class but he made it interesting. He makes you read quite a bit, but its easy. I would take him again if I could.

It's really unfortunate that we have to get graded in this class. the material was so intersting; it really opens you eyes to the real world. the topics were very relevant, and he constantly presented current articles/issues and explained how they were relevant. The down side: his grading is bogus. no scantron, short answers and essays. really, he doesnt grade them, he has graders that only know binary: 0, 0, 1, 0. the only way to get points is to go cry, bitch, and moan to him during his office hours (or so i heard)

This class was truly a great experience. Harlan is a bombshell teacher that is in love with his subject. He conveys this love in every class and makes people exited about History. The lectures are absolutely stunning and the tests aren't all that bad. Take Harlan!

Harlan was an OK teacher...it was nice not to have a textbook to read, although reading an entire novel for five points of credit seems kind of pointless. He always let us out early, and even took the hardest section of notes off the final. Overall, I would say it was pretty easy - not too much work. Harlan isn't the best teacher I've had, but he wasn't the worst. It's a bearable class for a GE requirement.

Harlan was quite passionate about what he was teaching. The test were a bit sketchy but the class itself was interesting. I especially enjoyed reading Black Robe as well as the lectures on slavery.

i didn't really get much out of this class. the best thing i learned was how to regurgitate notes into an essay. although harlan is very passionate about history he tends to go off on these tangents and then has to skip material because he gets sidetracked. i would recommend this class to someone that enjoys sleeping...i did a lot of that in this class. it's hard to get an A and hard to get a C so that should help a little

Harlan is a nice man and is very enthusiastic about history but has difficulty presenting it clearly. Let's just say that I was confused about 95% of the time because he jumps from one topic to the next. My tip is to be prepared for his essay question tests and go to office hours whenever you can.

Craig Harlan is awesome in every way. So we had to read 2 maybe 3 books. One was so interesting it only took me two sittings to finish and the other I read the night before. And it's worth your time to read. He gives a different perspective on history, by looking at it from more of an intrapersonal perspective of the people in the story. His quizzes are simply a way to check if you read or not, not even difficult. He warned us what essay questions would be on the midterm so it's not even like he surprised us with anything. The homework load incorporates mostly reading, but it's so interesting you end up wanting to read it. I hate history, reading assignments, and basically everything this class involved, yet despite all that this was definitely my favorite class of the quarter. Take him, you won't look at history as you used to. God it even made me like it, only a little bit of course. haha.

Overall wonderful professor. Incredibly inspiring and passionate. I hate history, or atleast never found interest in it, but this class made me appreciate history for the first time ever. And I owe it all to Harlan. The class involved reading and putting the time in to go to his lectures but I promise you won't regret it. I walked away from this class with much more than I walked in with... no THATS worth it. If you take this class, take this professor!

Boring as hell... seriously I wanted to shoot myself in his lectures. He is kind of like a mad scientist the way he moves around, and is kind of weird. However the class is pretty easy, as the midterm and finals are essays that the topic is handed out in advance. You can miss a lot of lectures (hell probably all of them), and as long as you can write some good essays you should pass.

Damn, this guy is not a good teacher. Plain and simple. This class has absolutely nothing to do with Freedom and American Equality. The guy just rambles on about nothing for 4 hours a week. I would reccommend taking a different class to satisfy your GE credit.

harlan is not very intelligent. he talks for 4 hours a week about nothing but his crazy ideas about the nature of humanity. and i'll tell you now, they are crazy definitely his opinions. it is an easy course except for the terrible books (not difficult reading though). if you can stand harlan, the course is easy. one midterm, one final, and a couple of quizzes. so you have to do the reading.

Harlan is awesome! His lectures are so interesting and I don't even like history. He is also a really cool guy and very understanding with grading. Every week you have to read a novel or long article that you are quizzed on. That was the only thing that sucked but you can get by with Cliff Notes if you must. The final and midterm are essay questions that he tells you before the exams. So just cite exact sources in your paper and you will get an A. He makes you look at times in history from different perspectives. I learned a lot and found his grading fair. I would highly recommend Harlan!

Come on, give the guy a break! My last quarter before graduation, I find out that I hadn't met the cultural pluralism stuff. I was already taking 14 units, of which two were the senior project (and I was late on that). On top of that all my classes were programming classes, which means huge workload. I ended up taking his class because there was nothing else, afraid that it would ruin my schedule. I did sweat blood to finish, but not because of him. I could never study for the class. All my work here was limited to a few hours before midterm and quizes, and only one hour before the final. And still I got an A. I couldn't believe every time I saw the grades in the website. Not so much mine, but every one else's. I don't get it, I literally had no time for this but there was no way I couldn't have gotten anything but an A, with all that taking away material from the test, giving you extra credit, telling you ahead what was going to be in the test... The final were a bunch of small questions taken from ten pages of notes (and I write big), an essay, which he announced ahead, and 20 points extra credit (yes, 20 out of 100) for reading two articles on the war of Irak, 4 pages in all of news magazine articles. And for all you whining about writing essays, I am ESL. Oh, I forgot, the class is pretty cool, and all the books entertaining. Even if you don't have time, you can always use Cliff Notes, the questions are so general. Take this if you want an easy grade, want to be entertained, and do not have much time.

He is very passionate about history! He is, overall, a good teacher, but, because I'm not too fond of history, I got bored. His tests aren't too hard if you study, but his tests are mostly writing... no multiple choice. He gives out a lot of reading and MAKE SURE YOU DO IT! He quizzes you and if you didn't read the material, you're pretty much screwed!

He is an awsome professor! Harlan is a great guy and actually wants to help learn. If you show up to lectures and do the readings you'll get a good grade in the class. He tells you exactly what will be on the test and the final isn't cumulative. Overall pretty easy class.

Harlan is very very passionate about what he teaches. Very knowledgable and tries to get students to look at history from different points of view. Fair graders, and even gives that essay prompt to you before you are required to write it in class. Great teacher, take him if you can.

Professor Harlan clearly describes what he expects and wants from you in his class. He is fair and understands when he has given too much work. Also he makes class interesting by some how integrating orgasms and sex in almost every lecture that he gives. Over all this class is a must take for a GE if you want to feel the love in class! PROFESSOR HARLAN FOR PRESIDENT!!!

Harlan is a very enthusiastic and passionate man! He truly cares for his students and the subject that he teaches. His lectures can get a little dry, but make sure to take good notes. There is a midterm and a final (non-cumulative) that consist of short answer questions and an essay. My advice is to pack as much info into the essay and short answers as possible and dont worry about your writing style. The quizzes on the assigned readings are really easy if you actually read. Overall it was an easy class with a really nice professor. I would highly recommend this class!

He is very baised in his presentations. For a week straight we learned why the Iraq war was a bad idea. Not what the war actually is, but why we shouldn't be there. I thought this was a history class, not a class for you to voice your frustrations on the government. Lots of reading, most pretty boring and long and tough exams.

First of all, this guy is super nice. I really enjoyed talking to him in office hours and if I ever had a problem with a grade I was given, he was happy to talk to me about it. But I HATED his lectures. They were okay (borring...but normal) up until we started talking about politics, but it then becamse obvious that he wasn't even going to try to present an unbiased view. We spent a lecture and a half metaphorically kissing LBJ's ass. If you agree with him, there is no reason in the world why you wouldn't enjoy his class. If you don't, it becomes an exercise in gritting your teeth for two hours twice a week.

i liked him well enough. he was pretty biased though. i even agreed with everything he said but even i could tell that he wasn't showing all the points of view, only our side.

This guy is made of fail.

Harlan is above average prof. There is quite a bit of reading in the class (quiz each week on it). If you go and listen to his lecture and just study a little bit, his class shouldnt be too hard. He gives you all the question that are gonna be on his quiz/midterm/final so its really your fault if u do bad on it.

Dr. Harlan is the most biased teacher I have ever had in my life! If you are even close to being somewhat conservative DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS! On the midterm essays he says he wants your opinions, but if your opinion doesn't fit into to his beliefs he wont give you credit. All he does is lecture is ramble on about nothing. His lectures are also extremely bias! I didn't learn a thing the whole quarter.

Unless you are an English Major, do NOT take this instructor. He

I really enjoyed Professor Harlan's class. I found it to be interesting and I learned a lot of useful information. His quizzes are pretty easy as long as you do the reading. He is really really passionate about history. He is actually a pretty funny guy if you watch him during his lectures and pay attention to what he says. He is very knowledgeable on the subject and is very nice. Take this class, it will be worth your time!

Overall, Harlan was a good teacher. His lectures were a little boring, but he knew what he was talking about. The homework wasn't that bad, just reading, and then in class quizzes on the readings that were only 4 points and the lowest score is dropped. He basically lays out the midterm and final for you with his study guides. Sometimes, his lectures were a little confusing and he sort of rambled on a little. But, i really don't think its too hard to get a good grade in his class.

I would not take this professor again. It is difficult to stay awake and focused during lectures. Also, his quizzes and tests are all essays and he does not grade very fairly. I felt as prepared for the final as I was for the midterm but somehow got 2 grades lower. He uses letter grades for his grading scale and that caused me to get a lower grade. If you add up my percentages I got a B but with the letter grade point system I got a C. I went into his office and tried to show him that but got nowhere. He is very stubborn and would not help me out or listen to me at all.

Even though the lectures were somewhat long, Harlan was a great teacher. He's very enthusiastic about history. Sure, there were times when I dozed off, but if you read the material, take good notes, and see him during his office hours, you will do fine. He does have an opinion on certain questions, but if you can back up your thoughts (on an opposing opinion) you will still do fine. All the midterms and quizzes have a study guide that goes EXACTLY like the tests. No surprises. He's also one of the nicest professors to meet for office hours. Liked the class.

Terrible teacher, all he does in powerpoint lectures and give you boring reading. Not only is class boring, he is a pain in the ass. His power hungry ta's grade the midterms and usually end up screwing students over with a usual half the class failing the midterm. I got an A on everyone of his quizes in the class until taking the midterm where I recieved a D- eventhough i knew all the material. Not only did this happen, he lost my midterm and didn't even give me a chance to discuss this with him. This happened again to me for the final and I ended up getting an incomplete from him in the class and am still waiting to get a grade from him. He is an old man who has terrible memory and will forget you in an instant will not care. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Either do not take the class or wait until you can get another teacher, it is not worth taking his class!@#$%!#!@

Cool guy, class is boring but it an easy A. A lot of reading which he gives 7 quizzes on and drops your lowest grade. Quizzes are really easy though. Midterm and final are straight forward, if you go to the lectures you should be fine. His tests are all writing, short answers and a essay question. Overall I enjoyed the class, I thought he was a very good teacher and I would recommend him for a easy class. (just don't take this class early because it is easy to fall asleep from boredom)

If you like history and enjoy learning about modern day issues and how they have been affected by the past you would like this class. you would also have to enjoy watching an extremely enthusiastic Professor jump around out of wild excitement talking about these topics. i LOVED harlan he was awesome. Very honest, fair in his grading and extremely helpful in office hours. Quizes were online before you took them, study guides were always provided, and he tells you almost exactly what he expects and what is on both the final and midterm. Plus, he gives extra credit! if you didnt get a good grade in this class, you were just not trying hard enough or you just didnt care. YAAY HARLAN!!!

This guy is a joke. He is not only probably the most biased teacher at Cal Poly, but he is OBBSESSED with Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" poem. Honestly, unless you enjoy having to contain your anger and opposing opinions for two hours twice a week, avoid taking him. The other professor that teaches this class is less of a prick and will probably teach without ramming THEIR opinions down your throat.

this guy is a piece of shit, never responded to numerous emails and phone calls

This class was hard, lectures were boring, there is a lot of reading and quizes on all the readings. The readings were long, some of the quizes covered entire books and the others were online readings, I got d on the midterm and an f on the final but studied a lot and didn't know what he was looking for. Both the tests were essay format. I did not like this class at all!!

ok harlan is a crazy guy, but he's really nice. He loves history, and the cool part is that you only look at like three random points in time. I introduced myself the second week of class and asked him a few questions... the guy remembered my name for the rest of the quarter. not only did he know my name but i felt he was more generous with grading my essays. This class isn't hard he gives you the exact questions for his written midterm and final before the tests. so if you don't do well in this class it's because you are too lazy to memorize the answers. I thought it was really easy and i dont even like history. just ask him questions after/before class go to one of his office hours... he is very helpful.

What an ass. I hated this guy.

I am a history major and this guy put me to sleep everyday. The lectures are full of his opinions, and the readings are really difficult to get through. He failed me on the midterm and when I went in to talk to him about it, he said, "Oh, I was just cranky when I read yours". History really depends on the teacher that you have, and I did not enjoy history when I took his class.

Dr. Harlan is a great teacher. He has energy, and I thought he energized the smarter people in the class. And it is a big class, so you have to take that into consideration - don't expect a fucking concert, you morons. Honestly, do you want a teacher that the majority of the people you go to school with think is great? The majority of the people are asses, and Cal Poly is a good school. Imagine if you had gone to Chico... pardon me, I digress. I think Dr. Harlan is 5 stars, but be aware that you will be taking his class with a bunch of 1 star people who will never be interested in history beyond a Ben Affleck movie.

I am not just saying this because I did well in the class. But I loved Professor Harlan. Ok, sure he is pretty biased when it comes to certain things however, although he has established his point of view he ALWAYS listens to others and accepts them. Also, he is extremely passionate and knows his shit. He manages to relate EVERYTHING to sex which is not only funny but helps us to relate and remember certain things. He outlines EXACTLY what questions will be on quizzes, and the midterms are written but he basically feeds you the answers if you go to lecture and pay any attention. He ends class early almost every lecture. He is really interesting. I know history sucks,but this class is as cool as history gets. I missed about six lectures of twenty, didn't pay that much attention, didn't complete the readings and crammed for each test and pulled off an A.

absolutely terrible teacher, do not take him. not worth the time or efffort period

This man was easy, a little dry, and gave more extra credit and easy assignments than you could even fathom. His tests were given to us ahead of time to study. There was no way in hell you didn't get an A if you did what you were supposed to.

Professor Harlan was alright. I got a C because i didn't go to lecture much at all. Lectures are pretty boring if you aren't interested and it't hard to be interested at all with his monotone voice. The readings were pretty good and the quizzes aren't bad. there are 8 and your worst grade gets dropped. There is one midterm and the final. The more you write for your responses on the midterm and final, the better the grade you recieve. He is a pretty nice guy. Just go to lecture.

He is a more interesting teacher then I feel most of the people on here give him credit for because he is truly passionate about what he talks about, but because he knows so much he expects his students to come into class knowing more then I feel most people do. Also sometimes when he grades he doesn't really catch everything like for the midterm I failed it but went and talked to him and got over 40% back to give me a C. His grading is a bit strange because it doesn't matter if you get an 89 or an 87 because either way it's a B+ and that counts as the same point value when he breaks it down. If you fail it doesn't matter if it's a 59 or a 0, either way you get a 0% at the end. Overall he's a good guy and if you talk to him he'll definitely help you out a lot but he does grade pretty hard if you don't have a word with him. He does give extra credit that can really help you out if you need it and he wants you to learn the stuff but I had him for summer and it seems like he rushes through the curriculum sometimes. He also gives a lot of reading and doesn't seem to realize that for many students his class is a GE.

Professor Harlan is an ok teacher but is very stubborn. I had a 99.5% going into the final and he thought I cheated during the final, I had my study notes under my backpack instead of inside my backpack and a portion of one page was poking out(about one line of text out of 7 pages of text was sticking out). He gave me a 0 on the final exam, which I would have got an A on given my essay responses. I thus received a C+ in the class instead of the easy A, though I proved beyond a doubt that I didn't cheat he would rather be wrong than admit he made a mistake in judgment. This class is easy but takes some effort. He tells you exactly what is going to be on the test beforehand and on the final gives you the exact questions. Prepare and study/memorize what needs to be written and this class is cake.

Harlan's a great professor. One of my favorite Professors at Cal Poly along with English Professor Mark Roberts and Dr. Craig Russell. The lectures were very interesting and thought provoking. My perception was that Harlan was very understanding contrary to some reviews. Harlan's friendly, sympathetic and easily approachable before and after class. He let students turn in homework and quizzes late numerous times thorought the quarter due to various problems they had. Lectures are conducted via powerpoint and are available on the internet, but the slides are elaborated on so I would recommend going to class or at least getting the notes from someone. Homework is due once a week. The homeworks take-home quizzes on the reading. The reading is taken from a few books and articles. Midterms are short answers and one essay. The majority of questions on the midterms are taken from the lectures, topics from the reading are incorporated into the midterms as well. A study sheet is provided for the midterms and final which have an assortment of questions that will be on the tests so you know exactly what you will be asked. Harlan does not require students to know all the topics on the midterm. For example there will be 6 short answers, but you will only have to answer 4. He will give you 3 prompts for the essay but you only have to answer one. Roll is taken roughly 3 times during the quarter and points will be awarded for attendance. Hope that helps.

HE IS AN AMAZING TEACHER WITH SO MUCH ENTHUSIASM! PROFESSOR HARLAN LOVES WHEN YOU USE HIS OFFICE HOURS FOR EXTRA HELP AND HE IS SUCH AN INTERESTING MAN TO TALK TO. THE LECTURES ARE PRETTY INTERESTING AND YOU CAN USUALLY JUST GO TO CLASS AND LISTEN BECAUSE HE POSTS ALL THE SLIDES ONLINE RIGHT AFTER. JUST WRITE DOWN THE IMPORTANT SUPPORTING INFORMATION HE GIVES YOU IF YOU CAN'T REMEMBER IT. HE USUALLY LETS CLASS OUT PRETTY EARLY (HE NEVER TAKES UP THE FULL TIME). NO TEXT BOOK JUST ARTICLES AND NOVELS. THE READING HE REQUIRES IS A LOT BUT IT'S ALL REALLY INTERESTING AND IF YOU USE HIS OFFICE HOURS YOU CAN USUALLY BS IT PRETTY WELL. OVERALL I REALLY LOVED THIS CLASS AND I LOVED THIS PROFESSOR!

Makes a really boring subject like political history in the U.S. TOLERABLE, a feat worthy of recognition. Easy class, do the extra credit essay at the end of quarter.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Professor Harlan! He is an AMAZING professor and everyone who wants to fufill their D1 requirement should take him. He makes History actually fun and exciting, and the best part is that he actually cares about the subject that he is teaching! He is so enthusiastic about it and willing to help all of his students He offers EXTRA CREDIT that is really easy. Take this professor, you will not regret it!

He was terrible!! Ok Craig Harlan as a man = great guy super nice and cool. Craig Harlan as prof. = NIGHTMARE!! His lectures were so boring and he has a terrible habit of speaking way to softly. His midterm and Final were WAY beyond what he ever talked about in class he taught this GE class as though it were the only class you where taking the whole quarter. he expected WAY to much of us and when you tell him that he shrugs and say well now I dont think so its not so bad... so my recomendation is stay away!! far away!

He was terrible!! Ok Craig Harlan as a man = great guy super nice and cool. Craig Harlan as prof. = NIGHTMARE!! His lectures were so boring and he has a terrible habit of speaking way to softly. His midterm and Final were WAY beyond what he ever talked about in class he taught this GE class as though it were the only class you where taking the whole quarter. he expected WAY to much of us and when you tell him that he shrugs and say well now I dont think so its not so bad... so my recomendation is stay away!! far away!

Professor Harlan was a great teacher!!1 His lectures were interesting and he is super passionate about history! This course consisted of one midterm and a final! And, if you did not like the grade you received on the midterm you could retake it. Although this sounds easy and not like a lot of work, beware! The midterm and the final cover alot of material and take up alot of studying time! BUT, if you actually spend time on them and go in for help during office hours, you are guaranteed an A. So, i would advise you to take Harlan for an easy A if you are willing to put in some effort!!

Harlan is an amazing teacher. He is so willing to help students, GO TO OFFICE HOURSE. he will help you soo much there. He is such a cute old man and absolutely loves history. MAKE SURE YOU'RE overly detailed on all the essays. write until you die! The class kicked my ass at first but I learned soooo much and ended up with an A after working really hard. Take his class, it is amazing.

Harlan was an ok instructor but I would recommend being a perfect writer to take him. He basically gives out a study guide that is the exam so he expects you to have perfect answers. Alot of people got C's and below, I would avoid taking him for a GE.

This quarter, fall 2009, Harlan was trying to figure out the whole multiple choice thing rather than doing his usually essays. His grading system was quite weird this quarter because of that, he would curve our tests pretty well and he had extra credit essays which we could do to raise our midterm and final grades by a whole letter grade. He also had an optional final this quarter. He is a pretty interesting teacher and is very passionate about history. He wants you to succeed. If you ask questions during tests, he will usually help you figure it out. His class is based on books and texts that we read, not on a specific text book. He would post his power point online, but I really recommend going to the lectures. He usually would let us out a little bit early every day. I am pretty sure it won\'t be like that next quarter because he couldn\'t figure out the multiple choice thing, so I\'m pretty sure he will be switching back to essays in the future quarters.

ok so this isnt a piece of cake class but its not hell. I actually liked it and i absolutely HATE history... but he is such a cool sweet guy.. really interesting to listen to about history because he loves it so much and he has so much knowledge. He puts all his powerpoints online so thats very nice and puts alot of effort into his class. This quarter he changed things up from what i hear and switched to multiple choice so no essay crap that everyone is talking about on here. And seriously he curved our tests at least a grade higher and do the extra credit online quizes and you get a grade up on your tests! its ridiculous he really wants you to do well! but im sure it\'ll be different in the upcoming courses but its a good class take it.

Craig is a great guy. I absolutely hated history before this course and he actually made it intiresting. His homework load isnt bad and if you go into his office hours, he will definately be more than willing to help you with your questions. Again, he was a lot of help with the material i didnt understand and he is a really great teacher.

7 online quizzes and two non cumulative exams each worth 1/3 of your grade. Take notes and pay attention to what he says because his powerpoints don\'t have everything that\'s going to be on the exam. Very knowledgeable guy just not an easy A class if that\'s what you\'re looking for.

Harlan is a super good teacher, he really knows what he\'s talking about and he\'s good at keeping you interested for the full two hour lecture. There are weekly quizzes on the reading that you should take your time on because they add up and could either really help or hurt you. There\'s one midterm (multiple choice) and one final (multiple choice). The midterm was harder than the final, but just take notes during class and put the time in to study and you should be fine. Definitely take this class.

Harlan is definitely a cool guy, and very into his work. Recommended for history majors, or just people who like history. His class, however, requires lots of reading (about a ~150 page book per week, plus handouts here and there) and I just couldn\'t find the time to read all of the material while keeping interested. He has two midterms and a final, and the final can\'t bring down your grade. Sucks at writing scantron tests because the questions are so damn specific, but he also offers optional extra credit quizzes on the books you read (online, 4-5 short answer questions) that bring your grade up one full letter on the midterms.

Student beware....Terrible teacher, all he does in powerpoint lectures and give you boring reading. I got an A on everyone of his quizes in the class until taking the midterm where I recieved a D- eventhough i knew all the material. Not only did this happen, he lost my midterm and didn\'t even give me a chance to discuss this with him. This happened again to me for the final and I ended up getting an incomplete from him in the class and am still waiting to get a grade from him. He is an old man who has terrible memory and will forget you in an instant will not care. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Either do not take the class or wait until you can get another teacher, it is not worth taking his class!@#$%!#!@

Harlan was an ok instructor but I would recommend being a perfect writer to take him. He basically gives out a study guide that is the exam so he expects you to have perfect answers. Alot of people got C\'s and below, I would avoid taking him for a GE.

I really don\'t see how a lot of people complain of the difficulty in this class. Harlan is really into history and makes the lectures and readings actually entertaining. The quizes are also easy if you just bother to actually read the short readings and give detailed answers. I got a prefect score on each one. The midterm and final were multiple choice and non cumulative. As long as you pay attention during lecture and read over his slides and your quizes then the tests should be a piece of cake. And, that\'s what I mean about his lectures being entertaining. I was able to remember a lot of detail easily by just remembering the lectures. I even failed the final and still got a B in the class. He makes the class interesting, doable, and you may actually learn something interesting in it.

He gives reading quizzes which are honestly free grades. Take advantage of them and use them to boost your grade. They are worth a third of your grade. The two thirds are the midterm and final. I found them to be very hard. Make sure you pay attention in class and take thorough notes.

He lectures in a really soft voice but whatever you do, DO NOT fall asleep in his class. His exams are based off of his lectures and a little from the assigned readings and if you fall asleep during his lecture, you\'re screwed. The power points he posts on his website are useless as they do not contain any information other than titles and topics. so pay attention and take good notes. There are three exams and you can do either an essay or a scantron test for each exam.

go to class! the powerpoints do nothing for you if you dont go to class and hear his explanations then you will be screwed when you are studying for the tests. He let us pic between an essay version and a scantron version. wasnt too bad of a class.

really good teacher, really passionate about history, definitely take if you like history. tends to talk alot which can get boring but he\'s so interested in what he\'s saying it makes it interesting. 2 midterms and a final, you can either choose scantron or essay but he gives you usually 3 essay topics and will choose 2 for the test, then for the final he gives you the essay topic, so really easy usually. readings pretty much useless, doesnt go over books too much but good to incorporate some into the essay. overall great teacher

Harlan really does love history a lot. I went to almost all of the lectures and found them interesting because of his interest in it, but I found all of his tests to be difficult. I did all of the reading and studied a lot and still ended up with a C-. He gives two midterms and a final, none of which are cumulative which is nice. I took the first two in scantron form, and got a D and a C. The first time around I realized that you have to study notes on what he said in class because I tried just looking over the slideshows which don't help at all if you don't have lecture notes to go along with them. The second went better with having written down what he said in class. I did the essay choice for the final and prepared a lot but I never found out what he was looking for in essays so I got a C on that as well. Overall, he is very interested in what he teaches which is nice. I went to office hours a good 3 or 4 times to talk to him which I thought would help, but I still ended up with a C- in the class and so did my friend. Take him if you're good at remembering minuscule details said in class and in readings.

Harlan is a sweet old teacher who really is passionate about his subject. Expect to go to class everyday because his lecture slides are mostly pictures and everything you need for the test is probably going to be said in class. If you study the guides he posts before each test you should be fine. His class gets boring but he answers questions well and covers what is on the test. A bit of reading is required to do well though.

Professor Harlan has been one my favorite and best teachers. He presents the material fairly clearly in class and is always open to questions. He encourages students to visit him during office hours and he is even more helpful when you actually present your difficulties to him. During lectures he is very enthusiastic and passionate about the material in an almost comical way. He is really funny without trying to make people laugh or knowing it. He tries his best to help everyone get good grades in his classes.

I ended up with a B+ in this class even with a 92% (despite getting an 84% on the final and a 97% on the midterms combined] because of the way he grades, which is by grade points, not percentage, so watch out because if you don't get an A on the difficult final, you pretty much aren't getting an A in the class.

The class is set up so there are two midterms and a final. Each midterm is worth 30%, and if you do better on the final than either of the midterms, the final is worth 70% and takes the place of your lowest midterm grade. You really do need to go to class to be successful in 207. Harlan's slides online are helpful, but the questions on the midterms and finals are almost all from lecture. I did bad on the first midterm thinking I could get away with not studying very much. Studied harder for the second midterm and did better on it. Studied harder for the final and got an A on it, which allowed me an A in the class. Study hard, until you feel you know all of the material front to back and then the multiple choice questions will be easy, because he has a lot of answers that are similar so you do kinda have to know exactly what you are being asked of you. Great guy, class is kind of boring, extremely helpful during office hours.

Take this class. If you're willing to go to the lectures, it is easy and there is hardly any homework. Be prepared though, the final is harder than the midterms and worth more points.

Harlan is a pretty good teacher as he knows a lot about American history and genuinely likes the subject. However, I DON'T RECOMMEND taking him. This is not because he is a bad teacher but because of his ridiculous grading method. The class consists of 2 midterms and a final. The midterms worth 30% each, the final 40%. He will drop 1 midterm if the final is a higher grade. However, his grading hurts more than helps. Harlan grades all tests out of the GPA 4.0 scale. So if you get an 86 on test 1, 97 on test 2 and 73 on test 3 you would get (3)(.3) + (4)(.3) + (2)(.4)= 2.9. So you would get a C+ in the class (no he doesn't round up). However, this same score equates to an 84%. So as you can see his grading method can really hurt you. If you are someone who sometimes fails tests DO NOT TAKE. Remember, through his grading a 59% is the same as a 0%.

Harlan is one of the best teachers I have had, his presentation of materials is great and he is the most helpful teacher I have had yet. He is very helpful during office hours and is extremely helpful in preparing you for the tests (you can go in the day before the test and he would review all the important info with you). All you have to do is go to class and do the readings. Really loves history and cares about the success of his students.

I have YET to take Mr.Harlans midterm...Its this Thursday...but what I do know of him, is that hes unbelievably and full heartedly immersed in history. He defines a perfect professor;in the sense he cares about his students, he comprimises with us, and his lectures are fascinating. I am not a history person, I am a Biology Major, so history is quite boring to me, but....HARLAN makes it freekin awesome. Sweet, adorable, passionate, kind, likable and the best History teacher I have ever had. Go to lectures and office hours. Theres no way in hell you will do bad in this class.. TAKE IT

don't take him. seriously. you'll regret your decision. he's passionate but is the worst teacher ever. and grades really hard. half the class got an F on the midterm AND THIS IS A G.E. CLASS. wtf? k.bye

This is an American history class. and yet, and yet, and yet we read a book about canada. wtf Harlan?? i failed

this guy is a clown. hardest grader and not a good teacher. DO NOT TAKE HIM. 25/45 people got D's and F's on the midterm that was all written.

Dr. Harlan seems a little scattered in his lectures but is extremely passionate about history and more than willing to help students in office hours. He offers plenty of extra credit to counter balance any bad grades. While the weekly readings are crucial and helped me get an A, his lectures were interesting yet unrelated to the material he tests on. His tests were all essay format for our smaller lecture, but I have heard he uses multiple choice tests in his bigger lectures.

Mr Harlan is really passionate about the subject material but that's about all he has going for him in the class. He goes off on tangents and gets side tracked more than he focuses on the material. Every week you are supposed to do an excessive amount of reading. The quizzes are really easy but totally unhelpful for preparing for the midterm and final. The midterm and final are made up of three or four "mini" essays and one really large one. The points he assigns you apparently have very little to do with the information and a lot to do with the opinion it provokes in you. I think that's how it works anyways because I wrote about facts on the midterm and failed miserably (as did the majority of the class) so I tried opinion on the final and somehow passed. I wouldn't recommend Harlan to anyone I liked.

Great professor. Knows the material very well and clearly presents it to the class, which is half-asleep only because it is history. Go figure. I really enjoyed this class to an extent. Take good notes! They will be extremely helpful for the exams which are tough since they cover so much material and are ambiguous at times. One thing which I though was cool was that he let the class make power points reflecting on the material covered in class in order to receive extra credit. He's a nice guy and wants you to do good. Oh and one more thing, he's technically retired but keeps teaching since he loves to do it and wants to help students learn. Go Harlan!

I really liked Harlan! Interesting lectures, all multiple choice tests, an extra credit opportunity, very nice guy. It's important to go to all the lectures rather than just look at them online- he emphasizes IN class what's on the test, things to know, etc.

If you're even slightly interested US History I highly recommend that you take Craig Harlan. This guy's been teaching for a long time and you can really sense his love for the subject. Never before in my 2 years at Cal Poly have I heard such an exceptional public speaker, and teacher for that matter. During lecture's he's very enthusiastic and animated, and is able to get all of the important information from his powerpoints across with ease. I took him when he taught the ~120 person course to avoid essays. He gave 2 fairly challenging but fair multiple choice tests with some short answers. The 3rd part of your grade comes from the final. He changed up his grading system so that he does either the "GPA" style grading or just percentage based grades (see the reviews below me if you don't get what I'm talking about). He also made the final grade replace one of the midterm grades if we didn't do so well in one of them. On top of that, he gave extra credit opportunities. Like I said, if you have even a hint of appreciation for US History and want to see a master public speaker at work, take Craig Harlan. You won't be disappointed.

Professor Harlan was one of my favorite professors. Everyday his class was very interesting, I was never once put to sleep and it helps that he is passionate about what he is teaching. I went to class everyday, and every week or so we were required to write a page about a topic he chose. As long as you remain detailed, you will get a 10...plus he drops the lowest 2. All of our tests were essay form and he gave us questions before so you were prepared. I got a B on the midterm and an A on the final, which replaced my midterm if it was better. Great GE!

This teacher was a little scatter-brained but clearly enthusiastic about the subject. He does post lectures online but almost all of what he wants you to include in the exam essays he talks about in lecture. The grade consisted on "quizes" which were take-home, one-page responses to an article that he assigned and one midterm and the final. His grading system is a little funky though. I ended the class with a 91% and ended up getting a B+. That being said I would take the class again because I definitely learned a lot and thought Harlan was an interesting man with an interesting perspective on American History.

Harlan is crazy but in an interesting way. His class was very fun compared to all other history classes ive ever taken. The 4 or 5 books we had to read were much more interesting than a text book to say the least. He was way into the course material and no matter what question a student asked during lecture he always said, "That's EXACTLY the right question", even if it had nothing to do really with what he was talking about. His views are different than most teachers as well. Good teacher overall; his tests are pretty tough, but very fair and as long as you take good notes you'll do fine. His book quizzes are super easy; if you read the book you can get 10/10 easy. Oh yeah, we'd always get out of class early because he was computer illiterate and didn't know what to do sometimes when an error popped up so he just said we can leave and we'll continue the lecture next time. Very sweet.

Professor Harlan was such an interesting and understanding teacher. For 217 you dont use a textbook which is so nice because history textbooks are a bore. You read 2 or 3 novels and then are graded with written answers. If you are able to read books and give an interpretation, this is a good class for you. He is also very approachable and usually gives a huge curve! Definitely a good teacher and pretty good class.

Dr. Harlan's historiography class is excellent although it is lot of work for anyone who is not a history major. you write a paper every week on the previous week's writing and then you discuss differing theories of history. Dr. Harlan was genuinely interested in the students opinions and always appeared happy to hear what we had to say.

Although I did not have a choice in teachers for this class, I'm glad he was the teacher. The class discussions were very interesing, and at times entertaining. He is very respetful of other people's ideas and beliefs, even if he disagrees. He is a fun teacher and gets his students to look at history in a new way. Writing 5 page papers each week wasn't too hard either, at least not for the books we read at the end. Beware though...the authors you read for the first 4-5 weeks are very difficult at times to read and understand, but slog through it and then debate like crazy in class! Overall a GREAT teacher!

Dr. Harlan is an excellent teacher who is very passionate about teaching. He is by far one of the best professors at the university. Before this class, I never considered thinking about history as narration or as an autobiography. I never questioned the credibility of a scholar. However, after this class, we get a whole new perspective on how to approach our historical discipline, thereby enhancing our historical outlook.

Dr. Harlan is so great because he makes you read great books. If you love to read, there is practically no workload. This guy is really cool.

I took 304 for my major my last year (2002) and it was the best class I took at Cal Poly. His lectures were great, and from diverse sources and ages. It really helped that it was a small class with differing views on everything and lively discussions. He made me question the very concept of History. It was a lot of work (sometimes a 300 page book a week) but I owuld recommend it for people who aren't history majors. This class will make you a bitter thinker, writer, and reader. It was the kind of class I wished I'd taken my first quarter.

History 323- New ways of seeing the past, was a very interesting class and unlike any I have taken before. It was a small seminar, only about 15 students and we basically would read a book and then discuss it. Some of the books were a little dry while i really liked others. The class could have been more talkative and energetic at times which can make a small seminar difficult, but overall it was an excellent class. Harlan is a really cool professor. If you are into the subject and books and there are other good students in the class, it could be one of the best classes you take.

Good teacher. Class was worth it just to read Tim O'Brien's, The Things We Carried. He is always willing to help, but there is a lot of reading.

good books, bad teacher

I took Craig's (he let us call him that) HIST 324 class basically because I'm an English major and I thought any class with the word "novel" in it would be really interesting. The class was a lot of fun, but he expects a lot out of you. We read eight books (the only reason we didn't read nine is because we ran out of time). Most of the books were awesome--Spiegleman's "Maus" (both volumes, which I considered 2 books), O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," Doctorow's "Ragtime"--but some of the books were almost painful to read, like Herman Melville's "Benito Cereno". Craig is a really smart teacher; he is very passionate about the subject. But we had to write two--that's right 2!!!!-- 8-10 page papers. I know I shouldn't complain because I'm an English major, but the two papers that long seemed a bit much for a GE class, upper division or not. The class is arranged as a seminar--he doesn't lecture at all; it's student-run seminars with Craig interjecting every now and then. We got in to some really great discussions. Overall, the class was one of my favorites. Just be prepared for A LOT of reading (over 2000 pages in 10 weeks!) No midterm or final, just papers.

The class requires a lot of reading (one book a week basically) but all the books were interesting and fun to read. Craig is a great guy and always willing to arrange times to meet with you if you ask him. He\'s obviously very knowledgeable and is genuinely curious to hear student input about the books. The class itself consists of seminars to discuss each of the books and Craig tries to leave the discussing to the students rather than take the lead. The class only requires two papers and a couple quizzes from the book, which aren\'t difficult if you\'ve actually read them. Just beware that he does expect a lot of student participation during the seminars!

Dr. Harlan is one of the best professors I've had. He teaches you how to look at history in a different way than most of us have been exposed to through out our education. I really enjoyed his historical novel class, which I hope will become part of the history department's offerings. It was an interesting way to look at history, and Dr. Harlan's incredibly good taste in books doesn't hurt either. He is very understanding and helpful, and was always open to student input. I hope that I have the opprotunity to take more classes with Dr. Harlan in the future, and I would highly reccomend him to anyone.

During this entire quarter all I could think about was how this professor reminded me of that small little dog that runs through the back of scene 23 in The Incredibles by Pixar. Seriously, if you look it up you will only be able to see it...

Such a sweet teacher!!! Really cares about history, and it shows. Class consists of powerpoint presentations, two midterm (scantron or essay >your choice) and a Final (scantron or essay >your choice) and LOTS and LOTS of READING!!! If you pay attention in class and do the reading, the exams aren't extremely difficult. Not an easy A, but wonderful teacher, interesting topics, and I learned so much!