Hall, Roger  

Hall is an informative and funny professor, and it's easy to stay engaged even if you don't care about the material. The class does not require a lot of reading, and lectures only run about 3 hours/week. That said, the class is not easy. Hall does not grade easily, and it's difficult to get an A on any of the tests. If you're looking for an easy A for your D1, avoid taking History 201.

He's really funny and presents his powerpoints well. The readings weren't too strenuous: about 20 short historical documents throughout the quarter (Voices of Freedom, Vol 1) and a novel (Celia, A Slave). The two midterms and final were each non-cumulative, but, to get an A, you needed to have a good understandings of the readings. You must read the novel and write a short essay that's due the day of the final. Isn't not an easy A, but I'd recommend Dr. Hall. He's the funniest teacher I've had at Cal Poly thus far.

Great teacher. Hall constantly uses humor to keep his students engaged in an area which many may find boring, especially since the curriculum covers most of the same stuff you learn in high school. He recognizes this and therefore focuses on many of the interesting details that you wouldn't have learned already, such as Puritan bestiality or Abe Lincoln conspiracy theories. He also has amazing hair.

He is a very funny teacher, it is hard to get bored in his class. Even if there is 200 people in his class, everyone will be engaged. His tests are almost all multiple choice and pretty easy. There is 4 exams, 1 essay and a final, which is not accumulative! Take him for a history class!

Very funny guy!!! Makes the class enjoyable. However, not very clear on what we need to know for the exams. There are 4 exams, an essay on a novel, and a final. The exams are almost every 2 weeks so each exam was only on about 4 powerpoints and around 20 pages of reading. Somehow he would still ask questions that made no sense as to where he got the information. His exams are also 75 problems of True/False which is really annoying. You must read the book Celia and write an essay on it. I did not really enjoy the book. He is an entertaining guy and always lets you out of class about 20 minutes early, but you feel like you do not cover much in class and do not know what he will test you on and then the exams ask stuff you never discussed.

So I'm drunk right now eating chicken strips... but I have to say that professor Hall is da bomb diggity. History is a bunch of dry material but he makes it fun during lecture. His true and false tests are a pain in the ass because they are true and false. These chicken strips are good, so take Dr. Hall.

I hate history. It doesn't interest me. That being said, Dr. Hall made it as interesting as it could be. He knows this is a GE for just about everyone and he is willing to help. He tries to make jokes about everything and even though they aren't always funny, it makes it a little less boring. Also, GO TO OFFICE HOURS! Before every test, which is every 2 weeks, go to his office and he will just sit and talk about the entire test before you take it. Also, the final isn't cumulative! Get to know him because he likes helping people out with bumping up grades and if he knows who you are, you have a better chance!

GOATTTTTT! I really enjoyed this class. Hall makes history easy to learn with his humor. Highly Recommend.

I love him as a teacher and he is a very funny person, but Hall is a very harsh grader. I have a friend who took this same class (HIST 201) with a different teacher and it was WAY easier of a class for her. I studied sooooo much for this class and still I struggled on the tests because he asks the most ridiculously specific questions on tests. For example, a lot of things he asks doesn't actually test your understanding of the content and its importance, more just the random, tiny details that he may or may not mention or that you would barely pick up in the reading even if you pay super close attention. Definitely do the readings and pay close attention during class if you do take Hall's class, because you will need it or you will fail!!! I would even recommend doing the readings multiple times tbh

TAKE THIS CLASS! Although *sometimes* the lectures can be boring, he usually makes the class really fun with historically relevant memes on slides and really funny explanations. His tests are kinda hard, but go to your office hours right before and you're chilling. I came from another country without knowing any history and got an easy B, I would have gotten a hard A for sure if I went to his office hours.

Hall is the man. I will take any class with him. This is my second time having him and he is one of the people who sparked my interest in history. He is funny and witty so his lectures aren't boring (although he can speak quietly, so speak in the front), and has a simple grading system. He made the reading section take home which made the exams 10x easier and helps boosts your grade. Also offers a optional project to boost grade and has participation points for showing up. He is hard to get A+'s in but the class should be a attainable B for anyone who pays attention in class.

Professor Hall truly knows how to make history interesting. This is not your average GE history class. Professor Hall knows that not everyone is interested in history and makes sure to teach things that we haven't all heard in our high school history classes. He often shares unique and funny stories and makes jokes all the time (not always appropriate but very engaging!) I had this class two days a week from 6-8 pm but it was actually one of the classes I looked forward to going to! His tests are very tricky and cover tiny details from lectures so make sure you take good notes on what he says, not just what is written on the powerpoint. Overall, this is a fun way to fulfill your history GE!

Definitely take Hall if you have the chance! I personally don't find history particularly interesting, but I didn't mind his class. He makes his lectures entertaining--lots of memes, jokes, and even optical illusions. The workload wasn't bad at all. We didn't write any papers like other HIST classes did, and we didn't really have any work outside of the following: 2 midterms and a final. Each midterm was 100 questions, 50 of which were take-home questions based on a book to read. The other 50 were questions on the lecture. The final was the same format except also included essays. He gave us the prompts in advance and you got to throw one out. To do the take home book-based MC, I don't recommend spending your time reading the books in full-- that time is better spent reviewing his power points and studying the content from lecture. Just read enough of the books to find the correct answers to the MC questions. The only downside to this class is that the questions on the midterms and final were sometimes extremely specific and felt a little unfair... however, most of the material we were tested on felt reasonable... so all things considered, definitely take Hall if you're looking for an enjoyable HIST lecture without much work.

Roger is amazing. He is just a really chill, funny guy. He makes history not quite so boring, at least that is how it was for me. The only homework is just to read some of the chapters he assigns but it isn't too hard. I got a C in his class only because I was lazy and didn't really study. Anyone can easily get an A in his class.

My favorite class this quarter. He did show some disturbing pictures/videos, but they really showed what the topic was like. Exams always covered what he talked about in class, with 25% coming from readings from Voices of Freedom. He made our 3rd Exam take home and we can bring notes to the final! He also offered an additional credit assignment. He also teaches at Hancock, but if he has a section here TAKE HIM

coming into this i thought this class was gonna be super boring (considering it was a night class) but I actually found it interesting and kinda fun to listen to. Roger does a really good job keeping you entertained and making the information as fun as it possibly can be. the class had 3 midterms (the third one being take home) and an open note final (not cumulative). the readings for the tests kinda sucked but this class didn't require a lot of time outside of the class which was great. take roger!!!

Just take him. Seriously. He is super generous with points and even gives this extra credit field trips. His teaching is very engaging and humorous. The material itself is very simplistic (slides with pictures mostly) and makes for very easy preparations for midterms. The readings themselves aren't too taxing (two books, but you essentially read 2/3 of each). It's a pretty cool class with a super fun prof. 100/10

He's a beautiful professor. He understands that we are college students and tries to keep us interested in a history class through humorous slides, jokes, and gesticulations that do nothing but evoke laughter. I was in his 6-8pm class and I actually looked forward to going. The hardest part of the class was the reading questions which appeared on all 3 midterms and final. But don't be turned off by that. I barely read the accounts, which I regret, and could have definitely ended with a higher grade. His 3 midterms are 100 questions long and cover basic concepts that are touched on and sometimes highlighted in the lecture slides. The last midterm was a take-home midterm. The final was an open note final. He enjoys helping his students do well and gives plenty of opportunities for them to do so. Basically, TAKE HIM.

Mr. Hall is the best!! he is so funny and weird but also an amazing teacher. he understands that you have other classes to pay attention to and do work for so he doesn't waste time. he also gives you 4 exams (1 is a take home, so you will most likely get an A) and he barely assigns homework aside from studying. before college, I hated history. it was my least favorite subject and I was absolutely dreading this class. but after hearing a few of his lectures, I have learned so many more things about US history, for ex: WWI, than I ever did in high school. he never makes you memorize dates for tests, he just wants you to really retain and understand the information. 100% recommend taking his class.

He does not care about his students, only himself. Other than that, kind of funny.

Professor Hall was great. He made the class pretty enjoyable for me with his jokes even though I've always found History to be really boring. There was no homework, just 3 midterms, a final, and an optional field trip/essay. He ended up making 2 of the 3 midterms take home, even though the syllabus said only one would be take home which was awesome. Before the tests he also did a quick review of the readings from the assigned book which helped out a lot as far as knowing what to study. Dr. Hall is an awesome professor and I'd highly recommend taking his class.

Like all the other reviews, yeah he is funny, and makes the midterms take-home sometimes. The problem is, he has no text book and in theory that's nice, but in reality that means he tells us history--however he wants to interpret it or twist it--and we have to memorize it. His "history" corresponds closely to his political views.

This class is your average GE history class. Dr. Hall spends every class period lecturing off power point slides. At times the class is mildly interesting, but on other days the material can be quite dry. He doesn't follow a textbook, which means you learn his, somewhat subjective version of history. With that said, I know a lot more about US history than I did prior to the class. In this class, your grade is made up of: 3 multiple choice exams (75Pts each), a noncumulative final (125pts) and an optional write up (50pts). In my opinion, the exams are fairly straightforward and easy. However, Dr. Hall likes to throw in about ~10 subjective/ambiguous or poorly phrased questions on each exam. Luckily, each exam has extra credit points and the 3rd exam is take home! For the final, there is a large essay portion as well as a multiple choice portion. The final is now CLOSED notes, but Dr. Hall prepares you well for the essay portion! The optional write-up will expand your course total from 350 to 400 points. I only recommend doing the write up (you go to two museum and answer 12 long questions about the museums) if you are on the borderline of getting a better grade. The write-up bumped my overall grade percentage up ~2%, which brought me from an A- to a solid. SIDE NOTE: Dr. Hall randomly decided week 9 that our final for the class would be during week 10 (not finals week)--so be cognizant of that. TIPS FOR GETTING A GOOD GRADE: go to class and take notes on what he says (the power points alone do NOT have a sufficient amount of information on the them), allot ~3 days to do the readings and to study for each exam, review your notes with a classmate (or create a google doc), and sit toward the front of the class because Dr. Hall talks very quietly.

Fucking weirdo. Makes a lot of unnecessary/over the line sexual jokes whenever he can. Put up pictures of (basically) naked women on his power point. I'm honestly surprised he still teaches here. Talks over boring power points very nonchalantly, never goes into depth about anything, and often goes on random tangents. Puts very specific questions on tests from 'lecture,' many of which he never mentioned anything about. Overall makes me super uncomfortable, has the sense of humor of a prepubescent teen, and has taught me little to nothing about US history. And I was actually excited to take this class.

He was all over the place with the material he covered and his tests were overly specific and strange.

Roger Hall made the class interesting. He realizes that not everyone is a history major and that most of his students are just taking this class to fulfill a GE. If you are easily offended, it might not be the class for you. The material covered and some of the jokes he makes can be interpreted as offensive by some people. Most will find it humorous (like me) and a good way to keep the class lively. Grades are based entirely on exams. All 3 midterms are worth 80 points (240 total). There are 80 multiple choice/true/false questions from the lecture slides and short readings (homework) on each midterm. The final is worth 110 points, 80 points are multiple choice/true/false just like the midterms, and 40 points are essay questions from a second book (Charlie Chan; also homework). There is one assignment that is optional. If you do it, it is out of 50 points, and depending on how you do, it CAN raise your grade. The class is out of 350 or 400 points depending on if you complete the optional assignment. Two of the midterms were take-home exams. That being said, the questions are very, very specific. They are not tricky, but they will ask about very specific details from the lecture slides and homework readings. The 3rd book (Charlie Chan) is covered on the final. You can do well on the essay questions if you read the first chapter and look online. He gives you the questions in advance so it’s very fair. He gives 1 hour to complete each midterm.

this professor is dope. take him!!!!

Dr. Hall is one of the greatest professors I've had at Cal Poly. He's extremely intelligent and fucking hilarious. History can be a really overwhelming subject, but Dr. Hall keeps his students engaged with his humor and overall passion for history. It's difficult to find professors that make an effort to make the material interesting, but he presents topics clearly and effortlessly. You can tell he loves what he teaches. He's a great speaker, and his presentations are impressive. He also cares about the success of his students. He obviously doesn't give out a free A, but if you put in the work and pay attention to his lectures (which really isn't hard to do because you'll be laughing every 5 minutes or so), then you'll get the grade you want. Tests are straightforward, sometimes take-home, and he gives out an optional assignment that can really help your grade. Other than that, there's no textbook other than a book you read excerpts out of and it's not that bad to read. This class was the perfect amount of course load for a GE, which is surprising to hear especially if you go to Cal Poly.

As a History Major I will tell you right now that Roger Hall is one of the easiest History professors to understand, relate to, and engage with. His 202 class was not super discussion based, but that is never really a bother since he makes history super inviting and fun, adding crazy conspiracy theories and fun facts throughout his lectures. Make sure to take notes on what he says in class because not everything is on the powerpoints, and make sure to do the readings! The readings are usually only 2 to 4 pages from the only book he assigns and usually interesting snippets from speeches or newspapers. We technically had three midterms and a final, but two of the midterms were take-home tests so it was impossible to get below a 95%. There is not much work for this class and the lectures are super interesting because he brings out small details and little stories that highlight greater themes throughout the course. Also he is really helpful during office hours, he won't just give you answers, but he will repeat stories from class so you can get the answer for the take-home tests. Really dope professor, would take again!!

Roger is amazing during lecture, he truly engages you with the material BUT his tests are hard af. You better read his assigned readings about three times to be able to answer the three questions that he asks about them on the exams. He offers one extra credit assignment which adds fifty points to your grade which is super helpful. Be ready to memorize every single goddam statistic that he mentions during lecture or else you will fail all the tests. He is honestly amazing despite his tests being annoyingly specific. We love, we stan shister Roger

My favorite Cal Poly professor to date (writing this as a junior, took this class as a sophomore). Hall is funny, intelligent and one of my favorite lecturers at Cal Poly. He does drop a lot of nudity, jokes and jabs at conservatism so be prepared, although I am on the conservative side and never found his political opinions to overshadow the lecture too much. The lecture based section of the tests are straight from the power points so know them word for word (also- he is not specific on dates, focus on the general points and ideas) and the reading part is more difficult, yet it is multiple choice so a skim of the readings should get you a C in the reading portion. Offers 50 points to be added for the grade as extra credit with a easy write up on some historical spots in SLO. Highly recommend, he is one of the reasons why I am switching my major into history.

Dr. Hall is the Jay Leno of the History Dept. He will teach you things about early American history you didn't learn in high school. This is not an easy course, you will have to think critically about what is presented. It is not enough to be able to memorize facts in his class. Hands down one of the best teachers I've ever had in any subject. Don't hesitate to take any of his classes. Midterm, several scheduled quizzes, 6-10 page paper, and a final.

Missed the first day, went to the second day. Went to the midterm. Went to the Final. Three days of class total. I got a B, easy. This kind of shit gives our school a bad name.