Tejani, James  

I am currently enrolled in professor tejani's 201 history class. Having struggled in history most of my high school career, i was a bit nervous to take this class. However, to my surprise I am doing fairly well! The class is structured with two quizzes before the midterm, two quizzes after and then a final. The quizzes relate to the material learned in class but heavily focus on the readings. The structure of this makes it easy to stay focused and on track. Plus he lets you know exactly what is going to be on the quiz and on the midterm. It's very clear that he wants his students to excel. He's funny, keeps the class well engaged and is super helpful during office hours. He never makes you feel like the questions you ask are dumb, and encourages the class to ask questions throughout his lectures. He is well organized and overall one of the best teachers I've had here at Poly. If I ever have to take another History class, I'm going to make sure its with him. He's the best!

I think I can speak for most people that history is not necessarily an interesting or easy subject. But tejani seriously makes it so intriguing! He is a fantastic professor, and makes things easy to remember and understand by linking concepts and taking more of a cause and effect approach rather than memorizing events by dates. He aims to get his students thinking about the big picture, which I think has made this class far more valuable and worthwhile. I don't ofen participate in class because I know nothing, and I mean nothing, about history. But having a daily class discussion really helps solidify information and make the reasoning behind these events more understandable. He makes it fun and interactive, which is something difficult to do and rarely seen in history classes. I have been dreading this course my entire college career, but find myself actually looking forward to class! TAKE HIM!! It will be the best decision you've ever made, and you will actually take away something from it after the quarter is over.

Professor Tejani was one of my teachers during my first quarter. There is an extreme amount of reading required for the course, mostly in the form of outside primary documents. He is a harsh grader on quizzes and tests both. His lectures are very straightforward and they deliver the material well. I went to Office Hours a lot and was fortunate to have one-on-one sessions with him, during which he reviewed my outlines for future tests, went over past quizzes, and told me how I could cut down on the amount of reading. Overall, I loved his course and his method of teaching. I strongly advise you to take every single course you can from him, he is amazing!

Professor Tejani keeps lectures interesting, which was especially hard because I had him at 8am. The information he gives in class is interesting and he presents it well. However make sure you have a friend in the class because he does not put any lectures online, so if you miss it you're taking a risk getting notes from someone else. The midterm and final are IDs and an essay but the quizzes are really hard and unfair because they are on reading that doesn't really relate to the current material in the class and no matter how much you read for it and study and ask questions in office hours I nor anyone else ever got above a B- on them.

His class is going to take some work but it's all very straight forward. You'll have 4 quizzes and he tells you the quiz questions about a week in advance and will basically tell you the answer in office hours if you ask enough good questions. One midterm and the final isn't cumulative. You'll have 3 or 4 ID's on the exams that are 2 paragraphs each, and then an essay question, which he also gives you in advance. Yes there is quite a lot of reading, and yes the quizzes/exams require you to actually have done the reading, but honestly there is no reason you shouldn't ace this class if you try. He made this class my favorite GE! And I learned a lot and actually enjoyed it!

Tejani was rad. I was a little bummed to get a B instead of an A, since this was just a GE for me, but the class was really interesting. He's obviously knowledgeable and interested in his subject, and it shows. I was a little wary of a US History class, kinda like a been-there-done-that attitude, but he presented the material in a unique way, focusing on the "narrative" of American history and on the social/sociological aspects of history. I'd take him again given the chance.

Hands down one of the best professors I've had at Cal Poly. He grades hard, but if you go to his office hours, he will literally tell you exactly what to write and you will do well. You get as much out of the class as you put in. His lectures are interesting, he is a cool dude, and he actually cares to learn your name.

I never liked history until I took it with James Tejani. He is able to communicate the material in a effective manner that helps you remember it easily. He talks about the theme in history making it easy to tie together. I am awful at memorization and because Professor Tejani discussed the themes and told the events like a story, it was very easy to retain the material. The format of the class is four quizzes, a midterm and a final exam. All of them have an essay question on the test which is based on how the reading ties into the material in class. He gives the prompt to you the class before the quiz/exam. His office hours are super effective in reviewing the material - and review an outline of your answer for the exam. Overall it was an amazing class, and if I had extra electives I would take a class with him again.

Definitely take his class if you have an interest in US History and are not too concerned about getting an A because he grades harshly. He's an awesome guy, actually makes the content interesting, and always lets you out of class early. Lectures can be tedious but if you really pay attention he presents it well. There is also a large amount of reading and writing so unless you are a strong writer/reader, I wouldn't recommend this course. Participate in class and go to his office hours too. Would definitely take another class of his though!

Mr. Tejani is the man!!! He genuinely cares about you and wants you to succeed. He takes the time to learn everyones name. His class is very straightforward and the books are really easy to read. Just keep up with the readings and you'll be fine!

Tejani was definitely my favorite professor this quarter! He acknowledges that his class is a GE class and therefore doesn't make it too difficult. He doesn't assign homework, just readings that he incorporated into his quizzes. The course consists of three quizzes, one midterm, and one final, so it's really important to go to every class and really pay attention to the lectures and take good notes on them, and to do the readings. Participation points also go toward your grade so it's important to be a part of the discussion. Tejani goes over what each quiz and exam is going to consist of ahead of time so that you know what to study for so it's really not difficult to get an A or B on them. His lectures really aren't too boring either because he makes them interactive and really makes an effort to ensure everyone understands what he's going over. I definitely recommend taking this class with him!!

Professor Tejani is one of the gems at Cal Poly. I had always been interested in US History but his class gave a fresh and interesting perspective on it, focusing on the ideas and people behind history, not the dates and places. The course consists of 1 midterm (30%, 2 short essays and 1 long essay), 1 final (same format, 30%) and 3 essay quizzes (25% total). Lecture is very structured and well thought out. Reading at home is a matter of 1-3 hours/week. Overall, very doable class, just study hard before quizzes/exams (HE GIVES YOU THE PROMPT THE CLASS BEFORE). And he is one of the funniest, wittiest, most respectful professors I've encountered in 3 years at Cal Poly.

Expect a lot of reading. All of the tests are essay/short answer. I did all of the readings and took notes on them and was still unable to get an A on any of the quizzes/test. You cant skip any class because he only presents the power points and most of the stuff he says out loud and they are not even on the power points. If you are looking for an easy A this is not the class for you. If you actually care about history Tejani is a great teacher, he is clearly very interested in the subject and is a nice guy.

Professor Tejani is a very extroverted and engaging lecturer that takes every opportunity to get the class to participate. Class participation is a decent part of your grade, so I would highly recommend answering questions in class or going to Office Hours to speak to him 1 on 1 so that he knows you're engaged in the class. I also found Office Hours very helpful before the midterm and final because they were all free response based (THERE IS NO MULTIPLE CHOICE IN THIS CLASS), and he gave us the prompt ahead and he helped me plan out my outlines for the essays. The format for the Midterm and Final were 3 short answer "ID" questions where you answer who/what/where/significance and then a longer essay based on the overarching theme of the course where you tie in outside readings. You won't need to buy any books for this class because they are all at the library, and if there are none there you can always ask him to borrow one of his copies. He presented a different perspective on the Civil War than I was expecting, so just for that reason I found the course very engaging. That, and I thought the extra readings he picked fit in well with the course (they were all real examples of people's opinions during the time period we were learning about).

Just so you know- this is not an easy A. Its more of a -work you butt off and study lots for a B unless you're a history major- type of class. That said Tejani is a great teacher with a lot of passion for this subject. There is a TON of reading and all the tests and quizzes are SA and essays so you have to spend more time studying for them even though he gives you the prompt beforehand. He grades pretty hard on the tests and quizzes. Overall, this was an interesting class with a cool teacher however don't expect to get an A in it!

Great man! History is a boring subject to a lot of people but Professor Tejani did his best to engage us. There is a lot of reading but I suggest to take notes or go to office hours if you don't understand old texts. He'll be happy to explain! Go to every class and participate to get those participation points. He treats this class like a GE so take him! There was no homework, two quizzes, and two exams. All of his quizzes and tests were written so make sure to use some of your rhetoric skills in your intro.

Tejani was honestly my favorite professor that I have taken at Cal Poly and I am not even a history major. He requires some reading, but they do not take longer than 2 hours per week to read through all of them and he lectures all material in class. No required textbook for the class as most of his readings are on PL. Tejani took time to get to know his students and courage office hours and class participation. His class consists of 2 quizzes, 1 Midterm, and 1 Final, which he gives you the questions he asks on them usually the class before hand so you won't get surprised when you show up on the days of the quiz or midterms. They are all hand written essays, which might sound like a lot, but if you read, study lecture material and write an outline he often tells you if your essay sounds good or bad in office hours. So to get an A, put in a normal amount of effort, answer questions in class, write and outline and he will literally tell you what to keep, what to delete and what would set you up for an A range essay. Really cool guy and I would highly recommend him to everyone I know.

Prof Tejani is the best. This guy knows his stuff about history and teaching, he's damn good at both. He honestly made me want to change my major. Super interesting guy to talk to. He's one of those professors you find yourself wanting to know as a person and not just a professor by the end of the quarter. The class has two quizzes, a midterm and a final. The quizzes are short essays you write in class, the midterm is a long essay along with several historical ID's as is the final. He gives you the prompts for all of these well in advance and will help you hash out an outline that will give you the grade you want. Don't miss out on the opportunity to take history with this guy, he's the absolute best. My only regret is that I didn't go to more of his office hours.

I would definitely recommend taking Tejani for HIST 201. I wasn't looking forward to taking history for the GE I needed because I've never been a history person and hated memorizing facts and dates, but the way Tejani teaches it really opens you up to the sociology behind history and how complicated historical events and ideas are. It definitely made me like history more and appreciate how so many different events, people, things were involved in creating/shaping the U.S. up until 1865 (right after the Civil War). The class is all short answer and essay questions and at first I was kinda bummed about that because I thought I would rather multiple choice questions, but I genuinely think I learned way more in this class than I would have in a history GE memorizing a bunch of dates and facts I long would have forgotten. I don't regret taking Tejani for Hist 201 at all, especially if you're interested in like cause and effect and the sociology of history. The class really isn't a lot of work at all either. There were two quizzes (short essay question for each which he basically hints at so heavily you know the question and how to prepare) and one midterm and one final (but the final was weighted the same as a midterm) and then some readings every week and like one book. The midterm/final were both made of cultural IDs which are essentially writing about an event or person or such and the significance and then one big essay question. He gives you the essay question so you can prepare and gives you a list of a bunch of possible IDs from which he will choose five, so it is definitely possible to do really well. I would definitely recommend going to his actual lectures and you usually got out at least a little early (ours were two hour lectures). He was also always super helpful in office hours if you went to ask about preparing for the quizzes/midterm/final. So to sum it up, take Tejani!!! I don't regret it at all and it actually makes me want to take another history class surprisingly enough.

If you are looking for an easy history class as a GE, go ahead and take Tejani for 201!! I was super skeptical coming into this class, history being my least favorite subject, but Tejani focused more on the significance of events rather than important dates or people. This made the class a lot more interesting, and it made it easier to grasp concepts for those not as naturally talented with history. He's a really friendly and approachable guy too and will make time for you in office hours.

Tejani is a brand new teacher here at poly, and I really liked him. He had pretty interesting lectures, easy to read slides, and always gave study guides for tests. we had a quiz once a week, but those were easy if you payed attention and could be semi-analytical. He was really easy to talk to, and he tries to make class interesting for people who obviously dont want to be there.

Tejani is an EXCELLENT speaker. He make the class very interesting. As an engineer I don't really like history but Tejani really knew how to relay the information in a easy to understand and interesting way. On the quizzes you knew exactly what to expect because he usually tells you the question before hand and he gave very good study guides for the test. There is a lot of reading but your going to get that with any history class. He is not the kind of teacher that will make you feel like an idiot if you don't answer a question right and is in general a very nice guy and great teacher. I would highly recommend Tejani.

Tejani is awesome...got a B+...rarely did the readings, just went over them the day of the quiz, never went to his office hours, although i shouldve just because he's really cool. Since he's younger he really knows how to connect with his students, and the class is actually pretty interesting. Gave really thorough study guides for the midterm and final, and had extra study sessions for it. looked forward to going to class just because you always know what to expect...take tejani!

One of the best teachers ever. I've always liked history but not US history, however he made the class way more interesting. His lectures aren't boring and I honestly enjoyed going to class. If you do the readings and understand them (if not go to his office hours because he's really helpful) you'll do pretty well. You have one midterm and a final. They consist of 3 IDs (two paragraphs each) and one essay. There are also weekly quizzes on the reading, they are generally pretty easy if you read. He's really nice and helps when you need it. Its not a super easy class, but not too hard either, and he grades fairly. If you can take Tejani, do it. Really great teacher!!

Awesome teacher. I always liked history and liked this class a lot. While it can be tedious taking notes off of powerpoints, he makes it interesting and I liked going to class. Write with as much detail as you can on the essay question for the midterm and final or he'll take off points. Overall, pretty chill guy and easily approachable

Tejani kicks a**! TAKE HIM! Super easy class, but I learned sooo much. Never have I had a teacher that makes history this interesting. He is super organized and nice. He's really young so he relates well with the students. Not to mention, he's really attractive and super cool. He used to talk with the other students about places to surf in SLO. I wish I had taken the time to go to his office hours, just to get to know him better! As, for the class, really awesome. I learned a lot but it was super easy. His tests are all short answer questions which I love. You can pretty much BS your answer (not that I did!) But yeah, TAKE TEJANI

TAKE HIM! He's the man, and his class is awesome

Great teacher. Knows his stuff extremely well and can present it.

Great guy, makes history interesting. Tests are blue book so they kinda suck but go to class and you'll do fine. Overall awesome teacher!

Okay so after all these fantastic polyratings I was extremely excited to be taking Tejani's class, but ended up being far from pleased. Tejani was an extremely hard grader, especially for a GE. I went to office hours, participated in class, studied my butt off for the midterm which I got a B on, and the final and somehow managed to pull a C in the class. Don't think it's fair grading and frankly Tejani was not very approachable and was not positive when I tried asking questions.

Tejani is a very cool guy...he's super awake at 7am. The class was mostly comprised of going to class, trying to stay awake while taking notes, and lots of at home reading. We had something like 8 books to read, some books MUCH longer than others. He doesn't remind you of readings until maybe a few days before the actual quiz so it's your job to stay on top of things. Furthermore, his quizzes are impossible to get higher than a 9 on. Study or don't study, i always got between a 8.75 and 9. His tests are also pretty hard...the final had 10 of 36 possible IDs and 6 you could choose from the 10. He tends to focus on the things you learned closer to the exam than the ones farther. Anyways, he's very difficult for GE. Cool guy, hard professor. If you want to learn, take this class-- if you're in for the grade, take another professor.

Took him my very first quarter at Cal Poly because the school made schedules for us for students entering their first year. Had it at 8 am Monday-Thursday and it was pretty miserable getting up and going every day but tejani had tons of energy and was really just a super cool guy. he is a young dude who is super smart and does awesome stuff on weekends and I definitely wish I went to office hours just to hang out with him but I was a dumb freshman. The class itself was powerpoint lectures every day and quizzes every other thursday which were essay format. one midterm and one final, both essay format and tons of writing on the final. tons of reading for homework but it was all interesting stuff. I think i was just not prepared for a college history class at the time I was enrolled in this class but im pretty glad I took it anyways. He also cancelled class like 3 or 4 times for random reasons and gave us the whole week off for thanksgiving I think. I rarely even spoke in class but he remembered my name when I saw him on campus like a month ago (over a year after finishing his course) which is sort of what convinced me to write about how cool of a guy he is. Tejani cares a lot about his students and is funny, but be prepared to do a good amount of reading and writing. no multiple choice.

Tejani presents the material well; simple powerpoints and engaging classroom discussions. Yet his quizzes and tests are essays entirely about outside reading, which are not involved with the notes we take in class. If you don't mind reading about 200 pages a week and have free time on your hands, take the class because the readings are very interesting. He grades the quizzes harshly and achieving an A in the class is difficult, only if you are a decent writer and comfortable writing in class essays could you dream of earning an A.

Tejani is the only professor I will write a review for. He's an amazing professor! I originally took him Freshman year for 207 and had a great experience so I decided to kill some units and take him again as a free elective. After not seeing him in 3 years he remembered who I was! He structures his classes in a way where everyone can pass the course. All you have to do is copy down his notes from his powerpoints, everything is laid out in an outline fashion. All his IDs come straight from his material and he emphasizes what they are to give you an advantage. He has 3 tests (1 in class 2 take home), 1 midterm and 1 take home final. His slides are thorough and meticulously organized and he makes sure everyone is up to speed with his lectures. If you do not pass this class you obviously were not paying any attention at all

Professor Tejani is hands down the best professor I've had at Poly. He presents all material so clearly and everything is so organized he tells you exactly what you need to know and makes it interesting. Take him for every history class possible!

I took Tejani last year for History 208, and am currently in his History 201 class. I have never had a natural affinity for history but I have always had a huge passion for the subject because I've always had great teachers. Tejani is no exception. To start off, he makes a point to know ALL of his students names, no matter how many kids there are. Secondly, he presents his information in an interesting, clear, and engaging manner. The tests and quizzes are all dependent on you taking initiative and reading outside of class, but he will always tell you exactly what is expected of you the class before the quiz or test. Like I said, he rocks. Tejani gives students adequate time to ask questions, and actively encourages class involvement throughout his lectures. He always gives a 5-10 minute break in the middle of class, and he often lets the class out early. He is a down to earth guy and truly cares about the success of every single one of his students. His classes have a fairly light work load, but there is a fair bit of reading when it comes to the quizzes, midterms, and finals. His classes are difficult because he has high expectations and he wants a synthesis of reading, lectures, and outside knowledge in his tests, but overall he's incredible. I would take him every quarter if I could. TAKE HIM!

Tejani is awesome! He made this class a lot better than I thought it would be. I was nervous about this course because I'm not a history person and I don't like in-class writing. His quizzes/tests are essay format but I went to see him in office hours a lot and he was always very kind and helpful. I ended up doing well because of all his help. A lot of reading and I felt like you only need to read bits and pieces for the quizzes. So I suggest asking him what to focus on in advanced to reading. He made lectures more interesting than I thought they'd be and his notes are very clear and easy to follow. Overall, not a super easy or super hard class. Helpful guy. I recommend taking him.

Professor Tejani is very fair with all of the assignments. He's willing to push back a quiz if the class is not far enough along in the material. In addition, if the class didn't understand a certain question on the quiz, he'll give everyone an extra point. There's only 2 quizzes and two essays. The essays are long but pretty easy to complete. His lectures are what make the class easier so I recommend going. The lectures are taught almost like a documentary. They're super interesting! I highly recommend this professor.

Tejani's class on African-American History was a very interesting and active class to take. The discussions were great, which comprise of technically 40% of your total grade. The rest is split between 3 papers. There is A LOT of reading for this course, and you are required to take notes and turn them in as part of your discussion grade. I enjoyed the class, but did not enjoy the taking of notes - it really slows down my reading.

Seriously, Dr. Tejani is one of the best professors I have ever had. Young and enthusiastic, he knows how to clearly and concisely illustrate his points and presents material in an interesting manner. This class consists of five reading response papers, one quarter paper, and a discussion lead. Discussion is 30% of your grade, and in order to participate you definitely have to do the reading. Tejani will make you want to though! Plus the material is super interesting! Take Tejani whenever you can!

Uses his hands regularly. Watch them, it's very entertaining. Besides his hand movements, tejani grades easy, is a great mentor for writing skills, and is a very intelligent man. take him for any history class, lower or upper division.