Bickel, Christopher  

He is understanding, fair, and interesting. Sometimes the class gets repetitive but it's worth it. I definitely recommend taking him!

Chris is the best professor that you can possibly have. From day one of class, he allows the class to come up with their own syllabus, unlike other professors that say "here's my syllabus, now I expect you to do all the work on there and have no excuses." For the final project in his class he allows you to choose any topic that you wish to do more research on. He is always there to support you when you need help, and he's a down to earth type of guy. I would recommend taking his class if you can.

Chris is a young guy new to teaching and his class can be a little disorganized. Some people in my class really liked the lack of structure but I'm the type of person who doesn't. Yes he lets you decide your own syllabus but it's not really as awesome as people make it sound. However it might make his class the easiest SOC 110 class if you need it for a GE. The class average is like an 89 and i think the department has criticized him for that so it may be harder to get an A in the future. If your class decides to do a project for the final be sure to start it early, and go to him for advice and suggestions. He lets you know a class or two in advance what activity you'll be doing or guest speaker will be coming. Chris has a lot of background in criminal justice and drugs and street crime and poverty. Although those subjects are interesting, my advice is to participate as much as you can and bring up new subjects or else you'll spend the entire class period discussing what he wants to talk about.

Chris is a good guy and teaches an interesting class thats not too tough. At the end of the quarter the department told him his average was too high, he curved grades down which was a little unfair, but overall a good GE to take

awesome teacher really cares about students and teaching them life lessons. Take this class if at all possible

chris rocks! he is amazing and everyone should take him. his has such an amazing ability to connect to students and get you to learn stuff that you never thought about before or even would be interested in. he has truly changed my life through this class.

this teacher is an AMAZING professor. the first day of class i walked in and he was playing old school hip hop and rap. i was like am i in the right class? the stuff he teaches in class is mostly all of his own experiences. he does not preach in class unlike some other professors. if someone gave him a million dollars to stop teaching forever he would never do it. quite the amazing teacher. you REALLY would not regret taking him!

Best teacher I have ever had at Cal Poly. His classes made me think and challenge my beliefs (not so much religious beliefs, but beliefs and perceptions of the media, corporations, global conflict). It's an easy A because the topic is interesting and Chris is awesome. I am enrolled in his Soc 406 class and would recommend him to anyone and everyone. Keep an open mind, respect your classmates opinions, and don't hesitate to ask "why" and you will be fine. This class will change your thought process if you have the right attitude.

Chris is an amazing professor who manages to present a lecture without you even realizing it's a lecture. On top of that, he admits that those who actually challenge his hard left views often get a higher grade in the class, which leads to very stimulating discussions. His tests aren't that bad to study for as they cover only a small amount of reading in the book. Take this class!

Christopher Bickel is by far one of the best teachers I have encountered at Cal Poly. He is passionate about what he teaches, relates to the students on a personal level, and clearly loves what he does. The class mainly consists of us getting in a circle and discussing current events and social issues that affect us and the world around us. It is an open forum for everyone to express their opinions without fear of being judged or attacked for their beliefs. Chris facilitates the discussions and fills in the gaps when people aren't talking, but basically gives his students free reign to be as involved as they want to be. He brings in his real life experiences and encourages everyone to speak their mind and find their voice. He truly has a gift for connecting with his students and encouraging frank, honest discussion about world issues. I cannot recommend this teacher highly enough. Most definitely take him if you get the chance. The class will challenge your beliefs and values, but in the best way possible.

chris was the best teacher i have ever had in my life, honestly i have never been in such an interesting class and wanted to go every single lecture. Everything he talks about is what you want to learn, the class decides their syllabus and its just a sick class i never got bored at all. He is such a chill guy and will talk to you about anything if youre having problems in class or life or whatever. I would highly recommend taking him like wait til you have a priority to take this class cuz it fills up way fast and believe me you want chris as your teacher its way worth it

Take this teacher. He seems like a peer more than a teacher and can really get you involved in the class. This has been the only class I've actually looked forward to going to. Bickel is awesome. Just read the chapters for the mid-term really well, and do something creative for your research paper and you'll do fine. He is really liberal, so the class is presenented very liberally but I'd recommend him to everyone.

Take this class!! I actually took this guy last year at 7 AM. He is the only professor that could ever make anyone want to get out of bed that early. Even though we were all exhausted, he still had everyone excited and participating in discussions. he cares a lot about what you think--like some one mentioned earlier, he even lets his students vote on the syllabus and how many days you're permitted to miss, etc. You watch cool (but really sad) documentaries and YOU get to choose a lot of what he covers in class. He's an amazing guy with an amazing story and I know it sounds lame but he will actually INSPIRE you.

I think about how much of an impact this class had on me every day. Bickel is a genuine person, and was the most inspirational teacher I've ever had. Unlike other teachers, he lets the students collectively guide the class. We also had class activities that used the hands-on approach. The class discussions about pretty hefty subjects helped us see things from different perspectives. He's an incredibly intelligent guy who's seen it all, and truly wants everyone to succeed.

Chris is the best professor I have had at Cal Poly. You will never look at the world the same after taking his class. It is mind opening and really got me thinking. I enjoyed going to his class every week and was always very interested in his lectures. Chris is an awesome teacher!

Chris is by far the best professor I've had at Poly. He genuinely cares about students' grades and understanding of the subject matter.

for whoever wrote that paragraph down there. i think it's hilarious if this guy did actually say he hates white people teaching at probably one of the most white universities around. i think there is maybe a 1% black population at cal poly and very little of the rest. funny shit

Chris is a great teacher. He lets his students create the syllabus. In my class it looked like this: Midterm 20%, Attendance 10%, 4 page paper (double-spaced) 40%, Final 30%. This is a very easy and interesting class. His lectures are interesting and he cares about his students learning the material. I would recommend him to anyone.

Bickel is a great professor. He makes the topics relevant and real. There is one midterm, one take home 3 page essay and the final. I can\'t tell you how they are weighted because it changes every quarter because the class decides. He is always there to talk after class and very open to listening to view points that are the opposite of his. I loved going to this class everyday! I would say take him if you can!! Also if you waitlist him for a quarter then he will let you in the next quarter, but you have to go to the first day of class when you waitlist. When he teaches this class it usually fills up early in priority, so it is just easier to waitlist and then take it the next quarter.

Chris is the best teacher I\'ve had at Cal Poly yet. He is engaging, understanding, excited and all around awesome. Whoever wrote the comment about him not liking white people...they were clearly not listening to his lecture. He brings up a lot of controversial issues about race, gender, and politics that makes you think about the world around you. He presents facts and statistics to back up all of his ideas. The fact that they said he hates white people is the exact reason he discusses it in class... to make you think. He is a great professor, so great he has made me add a sociology minor.

Real talk, the BEST teacher I've had so far along with a unique learning experience. The class tailors the syllabus on day one, potentially making the class require only 3 essays (doubled space). Discussions/movies/other people's experiences, were interesting, definitely opened up my eyes on things I would normally pass on by quickly. Easiest GE I've completed, I remember him saying how his goal was to "have everyone have at least a B". Not only an easy A, but informed me of how society structures work! GET. THIS. CLASS.

Chris is a life changing teacher whose dedication to students is inspiring. When you learn in this class, you won't think of yourself learning the "material" so much as learning about your place in the world and your power to change it. And really, which is more important in life?

Chris is awesome. The first day of class, he lets you actually make the syllabus. You choose how many classes you can miss w/o losing points, you choose if you want tests or papers or a combination of the two, you choose how many points each assignment is worth, and best of all, you choose what topics you cover throughout the quarter as long as they are relevant to Sociology. He is really down to earth and he is one of the only professors who understands students\' work load and how much they are in debt due to school expenses. There is no textbook, just articles that he posts on blackboard...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM

Best teacher at CP. Not a difficult teacher and he makes you want to go to class

he sure does like his women, wet!!

Chris is the most refreshing instructor I've encountered at Cal Poly. When was the last time your prof asked the class to set the percentage of the total grade each assignment would be or let the class set the attendance policy and penalty? If you want to learn--and learn in an environment that makes you WANT to learn more, this is the "Dawg" for you. He begins class with music, talks about current events--rather, he asks the students to talk about current events--and then manages to tie those events to the lecture of the day. He's much more like Ferris Buehler, your best bud from high school than a professor. I cannot recommend him highly enough. I love his swearing in class from time to time and hearing his personal stories makes you like him even more. Chris is not your typical professor; he's bloody brilliant. Do not miss an opportunity to take his classes.

Christopher Bickel is an excellent teacher. His class was what some may call "easy," yet i left the class knowing more than any other about a subject. His methods really work! Soc. for the ethnic minorities is a class to present problems and raise awareness. Chris does such a good job of this, not only with his knowledge of the data, but his own personal experiences greatly enhance the course! This is what a teacher should be like, he gives students some power in determining grades, he is the best, get him!! He cares about each and every student, will remember u name, and he really does love his job.

Chris is great. He was sooo fun to talk to. His class is more of a discussion, not a lecture, yet he will never "put you on the spot" if you don't want to be. I was a little shy but never felt uncomfortable in his class. He has REAL LIFE experiences which make his teaching so much more valuable. Pretty chill class, but we learned soo much. Things that are hard to test. He met with students anytime and I hope he stays for a while. The dean came into our class one day for some reason and he actually took the students side in some debate with the dean. Hes not afraid to defend himself and welcomes all opinions. If you try hard and attend all classes its an easy A/A-. If you don't try all that hard and dont go all the time your grade will show it.

Chris is a great professor who really cares about his students. I think this may have been one of the best and most rewarding classes I took in my 5 years at Cal Poly. Chris loves to talk with students, so take the time to talk with him, he is very passionate and knowledgeable!

Chris is a great guy and very passionate about sociology and teaching. His classes (i've taken two with him) are structured around a syllabus that the students get to decide, which is a characteristic unique to him. The class gets to decide what topics they want to discuss, however, he lets the students guide the class and sometimes spends too much time on certain subjects and doesn't even cover others. He is still a new teacher so he just needs to fine tune his teaching style. There is one big project/paper at the end of the quarter that is completely up to you with hardly any limitations, which actually sounds more difficult than you may believe. However he is very approachable and willing to help anyone who asks. He has great stories and life experience and brings in quest speakers and videos relevant to subjects discussed in class.

I was really surprised to see that Christopher Bickel received such high ratings. He said on the first day of class that he hated white people. I have news for you: Not all persons who have light skin and are from the Midwest are racially pure. Most of us are mixed, Native American and Caucasian. It was so rude of you and your racist, hateful students in your class that you so inspire to hatefully laugh and sternly classify those from the Midwest at white racists. As a light skinned person, I have been discriminated against on several occasions by those with darker skin and who are bold like you and the others to spit in my face with hateful comments. Never in my life have I treated people the way you and the others treat me, so your logic is clearly confused when you feel good about being hateful to a person who unfortunately has the same skin color to stupid, hateful racists. The better person doesn't pass on the hateful behavior they have experienced in their lives to innocent people. Just so you know: those white racists you hate so much treat me just as bad, and it's worse for me because I have mixed ancestries, unfortunately having the racists hide behind me as their scapegoat. If you feel like being hateful to someone because of how you were treated, then maybe you should be brave enough to directly confront the racist instead of horizontally discriminating. Take this advice and you will be a better person.

If you have the chance to take a class with Bickel -- do it! You will probably have your eyes opened, but even if not you'll definitely be inspired by his dedication and wisdom

The best teacher at Cal Poly PERIOD! Do whatever needs to be done to get into this class. Kill, rape, pillage....whatever. This teacher is not only worth the price of admission but the definition of an educator. When I think of my Cal Poly education he will be at the forefront of my memory. This is the kind of professor that teaches lessons that last a lifetime. The best experience I've had in a classroom.

Chris is by far the best professor i've had at poly. His class was unlike any other in that the students form their own syllabus.. we decide whether or not to be tested, what the attendance policy would be, and what kinds of assignments we were given. Chris has the ability to turn the classroom setting into something much more better and far more valuable. TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!!!!

absolutely amazing at times repetitive but still one of the best teachers ive ever had

Chris\'s class is awesome. He is very passionat about the material and it was an eye-opening experience for me. I would HIGHLY recommend getting him, even if it isn\'t for a required course. The only slight downfall was his availability in office hours. I tried to go one time when he said he would be there and he was not. Another time I went there were 2 people waiting (not his fault).