Bodemer, Margaret  

Dr. Bodemer is a very interesting professor who uses her own experiences as an anthropologist in Vietnam to flesh out her lectures. She lectures from a powerpoint most every class but her classes are not dry. The workload is relatively light, with a group presentation and three written papers throughout the quarter and one midterm and final. Her tests are not too difficult as long as you read her slides (which she posts on PolyLearn) and I really enjoyed her class. If you are looking for an easy and intriguing GE I recommend Professor Bodemer.

Dr. Bodemer is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about anthropology. Although the lectures tend to drag on (they're two hours long, two days a week) due to her somewhat monotonous voice, she's actually very interesting and insightful if you bother to listen. The textbook for this course is extremely boring, and I never actually read it. To pass the midterm all I did was look over my notes and skim the chapters. Dr. Bodemer grades very easily on projects. I got 90-100% on every single one of them. However, she CURVES DOWN! To get an A- you need a 93%, and to get an A you need a 97%. Anyway, she's very open to questions and class discussions and besides the projects/papers there isn't any homework. Overall, this class was a fairly easy GE.

Dr. Bodemer is such a sweet lady! I absolutely loved cultural anthropology with her. She lectures with powerpoints but she knows that attention spans are short and breaks it up with interesting videos about other cultures. Her class isn't very difficult, and she grades leniently on projects. Some people never read the two books but I found them pretty interesting. If you go into office hours she's extremely helpful and she really cares about her students and wants everyone to do well. She also tells us stories about her own fieldwork in Vietnam which is cool because it all relates back to what we're learning and she's actually done fieldwork so that's pretty legit. Take her take her take her! She's so nice, it was sad to leave her class. Also, go to class every day because it's interesting and you get participation points for doing peer reviews of group presentations that happen every day.

Dr. Bodemer is an amazing professor that's all that needs to be said. I went into Anthropology thinking it would be the most boring class ever, but it wasn't bad at all. Bodemer really enjoys the subject and she makes it very interesting. The midterm and the final were both fairly easy if you study. Also she is a really easy grader so the 3 essays just require a little bit of effort for an A. Overall great professor, I definitely recommend her.

Professor Bodemer is amazing. She is so kind and really wants her students to learn and succeed. True, she mumbles sometimes and true, she is sometimes vague in instructions, but she is one of the most chill professors I have taken in my 2 years at Cal Poly. If you put in the effort you can easily get an A, and you will also learn a lot. I appreciate anthropology so much now!

Professor Bodemer is a fair professor for the most part. The quizzes are kind of ridiculous because in reality they are midterms. The papers are graded pretty fairly/ easy to ace. (I made a MAJOR screw up and turned in my not final edit, and I still got an A). She assigns one group presentation which is kind of a joke because everyone's presentation kind of sucked, but most people got really good grades on them. Be prepared to learn A LOT about Vietnam, the K!ung, and maybe Papa New Guinea, but not really anywhere else. Overall and interesting class, but I would have liked to learn about a wider variety of different groups and cultures.

Professor Bodemer is really cool and cares about her students' success. The lectures were occasionally a little dry but Prof Bodemer always supplemented the lectures with plenty of anecdotes about her own anthropological experiences as well as videos showing different cultures. The videos were especially interesting. The exams weren't difficult at all, as long as you pay attention to the videos and study your lecture you will do fine. The other assignments aren't too difficult if you've done the reading, and even if you haven't done the reading it's not hard. Good professor, I recommend her.

By far, one of the best professors. Clearly outlined and presented all of her lectures in an interesting as well as intuitive way. Perfect introductory class for general anthropology. Not to mention the workload is very minimal and two writing assignments per quarter are easy. I did however get C's on all the quizzes because I underestimated the content at times only because I got lazy but I got A's on every project and essay. Make sure to know your definitions and memorize specific terms!

Bodemer's Cultural Anthropology was the easiest class. I don't know how much useful information I actually learned, but it was informative and rather interesting. She does work hard to teach well and it is clear she prepares for class. I am also impressed because she learned everyone's name in a very large class room. Quizzes are easy if you do the reading and the project is simple to do. Overall, a good GE class to take.

Dr. Bodemer is as laid back as it gets and pretty straight forward. The material is interesting, and I wish I had more time to spend on the class. if you read the material the class is an easy A. I showed up to most all of the classes without reading and was able to pull off a B+. Get a good group for the culture sketch project for your own benefit and tell her something outside of the norm. I would definitely recommend this class to fulfill your GE.

Bodemer clearly knows her stuff and is really passionate about anthropology. She does a good job teaching the material and relating it so it is easier to understand. The essays and projects are basically free 100% as long as you follow directions, and this category is worth 50% of the overall grade so it is important. Quizzes are a lot of the grade and are pretty tough. They are random, and each is cumulative, so this category is whee your final grade is based off of. The bad part about the class is the sheer quantity of reading/information. There is quite a lot of reading to do, and the amount of information to be remembered for each quiz/final is pretty daunting. But overall, she did a great job, was a great professor, and I would recommend her.

I highly recommend Dr. B, she is a fantastic professor who genuinely cares about each and every student. I highly suggest doing the reading and going over the articles she assigns, it will make the tests a piece of cake. Overall, I loved the structure of the class and hope to take her classes in the future.

Dr. B is an amazing professor, always very nice and approachable during office hours. She taught the subject matter very clearly and I never really found her lectures boring even though the class itself was not my favorite. Just know your vocab, read the articles she assigns, and do the Quizzes on polylearn to review the chapter and you will do just fine. It may sound like a lot of work but it did not take much really. Do not fall asleep during the films in class like I did because she does ask questions about them on the test. This class is not difficult especially since Dr. B teaches it so well, I would take her again if I have the chance.

Brilliant and super nice teacher. She knows what she is teaching. Her powerpoints cover the material on the tests. Go to class, fill in her powerpoints, study them, Ace the class.

Dr. B is awesome! She learns everyone's names very quickly, not exactly sure how. She has a lot of experience in what she is teaching, and really knows what she is talking about. The only work that you really have to do is read the chapters, but you can get by without even doing that. Also, there is one project that you have to do, but it is very easy and simple, all you have to do is put in a little effort. Overall, great class and professor, and I would recommend this to anyone that wants an easy and interesting GE.

Bodemer is overrated. Surprised about this ratings. She is unclear on what is given on the tests. We cover so many different cultures very briefly but somehow expects you to remember everything. She is knowledgeable and a fair grader but is unclear with expectations and does not lay out how to be successful in the class

Dr. B! okay, totally cool lady overall. somehow managed to remember 150 names in our lecture hall without interacting with any of us. delivered material in an interesting manner. the exams (midterm and final) are difficult. i studied my ass off and paid attention in class always and managed a B- and C respectively. BUT, there were 2 essays due that were weighted the same as the exams, and it is super easy to get 100's on them, so that carried my entire grade to an A. fun class. cool material. wonderful professor. hard exams. REALLY TRY ON THOSE PAPERS FOR AN A.

This class had an OVERWHELMING amount of information so studying for the midterm and final was extremely difficult. I got an 88 on the midterm and a 75 on the final. I study SO HARD but it was unbelievable how much information she expected you to know. Luckily her other categories are easy A's. But what sucks is you have to be in class everyday and even then she won't give you 100% for attendance, you HAVE TO participate in class. I made dumb errors in the term papers and got 95's on both. But they really aren't that difficult, I did both of mine the night before they were due. She's sweet but this GE was a lot more work than I imagined. I managed to barely get an A-.

Very awesome professor. She is very easy going and wants her students to just expand their horizons. I recommend working on the two projects whenever you have a free weekend. They take maybe an hour each. That way you don't rush and bullshit it the night before when its actually more simple.

Even though she goes over a lot of material, just go to class and take rudimentary notes, and you'll be fine. I didn't study very hard for the midterm and just went over my notes, and I got a 95%. She's very nice and overall a kickass professor. I would recommend her for anyone.

Profesor Bodemer is a great professor! I thought the class was going to be boring, but it actually was quite interesting and enjoyable. She is a very nice and understanding teacher and always available and helpful during office hours. We had one writing project which she grades very easily. The average on the final was 62% which she curved to be 84%. I went from a B in class to an A- because of her curve. Take this class!

She is a pleasant person and a pleasant professor. I didn't get too bored during her lectures, she tries really hard to make class interesting and fun. We watched a video for about 1/3 of class about every day. The midterm wasn't too bad but the final was really hard. However the final was heavily curved so my grade was ok. Note that there is a lot of reading for this class and she has a part of the final where you have to memorize where certain things happened or where certain anthropologists worked and locate it on the map.

This is NOT difficult if you do the reading beforehand; in fact, reading makes it pretty easy to just listen to her lecture instead of scrambling to write what's on the PowerPoint (which are also uploaded early so you should also do that beforehand). Pay attention to the main concepts of the films (aka don't fall asleep) and videos she shows in class: it can make for a couple gimme points on the exams. Keep your map updated and review consistently! This was my struggle while studying for the final when it really didn't have to be. Overall, this was a great class to start my first year off with, and it was actually interesting!

Not a difficult class to get through, but i want to emphasize my dislike for her teaching style. Long powerpoints with little to no information on them is not helpful in any way. Her lecturing style is extremely uninteresting and she is very weird about using technology. I would suggest trying to find a different lecturer if possible.

Very monotone but very organized. Easy tests if you show up to class and study. It felt like a GE but is an easy A for anyone who is relatively competent. Take advantage of office hours too.

It's lit

This was probably the most painful class to sit through at cal poly. Dr. B did not want to make the experience easy for you either. She was awful at answering questions that actually gave you insight on a topic. More of a figure it out yourself professor. Which is fine if you love anthropology but come on. She wasn’t too nice but I mean she knows her stuff

I hate this fat bitch. She is the definition of a hot and cold grader. One day she'll give you 100 on an assignment and the next day she'll give you an 80 because she feels like it. Normally, I'm ok with a B in any other class, but if I'm getting them for no apparent reason and especially when I deserved 100? Im pissed. Keep this in mind when you take her. Even when I talked to her about it, she gives the stupidest reasonings. 'Oh I was just being nicer to you back then', 'Oh I haven't been consistent' is literally the things she said to me when I asked why I lost points on one assignment when I didn't lose points doing it on another assignment. LIKE?!!!! Favoritism and personal opinions of students should NOT influence your grade for them. consistency is an important key trait a good professor should have. and this fat bitch drops the ball.... If you're ok with flaky grading and lazy teachers with flippant attitudes, then take bodemer.

Dr. Bodemer is very nice and willing to help you when you go to her office hours. She is also pretty funny sometimes. She is very laid back and not super strict when it come to grading assignments (which I like). She graded our papers based on if you followed the instructions and put in some effort which is nice for people like me who are not strong writers. She doesn't give a lot of homework usually, but at the very beginning of the quarter she does. There is one main interview project that she assigns which takes almost the entire quarter. It seems very hard at first, but as long as you do not procrastinate too much on it, you will be fine. She assigns readings, but it is not the end of the world if you don't do them because the topics in the readings are most likely going to be talked about in class. She could however, improve the way she displays the information to the class. She has powerpoints that she follows, but the information on it is not very clear, and they are very hard to study from for the tests. However, she helped remind us of some key concepts that we needed to remember for the midterm and final which was very helpful.

She's really nice and knows a lot about history. If you do the readings and show up to class you shouldn't have to study too hard for the midterm and final.

Super chill class. I learned so much in this class. If you like movies, interesting guest speakers, super friendly and approachable professor, and participation points just for going to class then take this. One "big" paper which is essentially you interviewing someone about their culture and as long as you follow the instructions and rubric and turn everything in on time you will do really well. She basically just wrote "good" and "awesome" and "wow!" on most papers and gave a grade on content. Two easy tests based on the study guide she gives to you before. Half multiple choice and half reflection on tying in the concepts she discusses in depth in lecture. Just go to class and take notes on the powerpoint slides she posts right before class and you're golden for all tests and finals! She is so nice and funny and I enjoyed every single class. The perfect GE!

She is willing to work with you until you understand it, and American Cultures was a fantastic course. She is extremely passionate about the subject matter and that makes for a class you don't want to miss.

I loved Dr. Bodemer's class, it was a lovely option for a D1. 5 quizzes, a ton of in-class activities, 2 essays. Definitely easy to get a B, but with minimal effort, getting an A is doable. I'm not really very interested in history, but this class is more of a story being told, which I loved. I actually did all of the readings! I surprised myself. Please please, if her class is offered, take it!

This class is really interesting. Basically, its an alternate look at american history and how it has affected minorities over the course of history. It's definitely interesting and not much work. I really enjoyed the class and LOVED Bodemer! She's so nice and sweet. If you actually care about the class and participate at all, it helps her and helps keep class interesting. It can be really boring if no one talks and shes just up there reading info from a slide. But make comments, and she shines. Definitely one of my favorite classes!

Probably the easiest, but also relevant class for a GE D1+USCP. She is incredibly organized and passionate and it shows. She uses film, memoirs, and sometimes music to teach. Definitely take this class, get an A, and walk away more familiar with the U.S.

Meh, pretty interesting subject but attendance graded sucks. Lost some points for participation so I got an A-

Amazing class and super interesting. You have to interview an immigrant or refugee so think of who you would interview before. Very structured class which makes everything easy to follow. I read the book so thoroughly but you truly dont have to. All her test questions come from her lectures alone, the book just gives a little background support.

Attendance is graded which doesn't make sense for a GE, (valid excuses exempt) but she encourages participation to keep you awake at 8am. IMO getting an A isn't hard if you attend every class and review session

Dr. Bodemer is a really nice and approachable person. If you don't like history I would recommend this class because there are only two or three homework assignments that are due and 4 simple project essays including an interview with an immigrant or refugee which you can find by asking around your dorm. She gives everyone 100% on those which is nice, but it doesn't seem to boost your grade very much. She has one midterm and a final which are not easy if you don't like history even if you study super hard which a lot of us do. She lectures the entire class through a microphone headset and tends to the second half of the class play a video or movie which is when a lot of people tend to leave. However, I would recommend staying because movie information does show up on the midterm and final but you don't have a need to take notes or do the readings she assigns, just make sure to understand all of the powerpoints before you go to class. It is an 8 am which honestly isn't that bad, but make sure you show up because she grades attendance which is easy points. Overall, the class isn't very intriguing but you do learn a lot about other cultures in America.

Professor Bodemer is a really cool person. This class is super easy as there's rarely any homework, the midterm and final are just multiple choice, and the most of the assignments she doesn't really grade. However, the material is interesting and eye-opening. I would definitely recommend her for this class.

HIST 316 is a really easy class with Bodemer. She grades really easily, her quizzes can be hard though. 9/10 would take again.

Took this class as a junior in Spring 2018. Relatively chill and doesn't require much work. you do need to read the books that are assigned to you, however, they were all good reads. You also get to choose 1.

Not over whelming workload and no reason not to get an A if you do not do all the work.

I would give this class an A- rating because she gave me an A-. I like Bodemer a lot and took her for this class because I enjoyed her Cultural Anthro class. I appreciate how passionate she is about the subject. Be warned, compared to some GEs this class is a ton of work: there's a midterm, final exam, paper, and presentation + participation grade. Don't take benadryl before class unless you want your participation grade to plummet.

This class rocks. SEA is her area of expertise, so she covers nearly all aspects of Modern SEA. The important thing to remember for a Dr. Bodemer class is that she doesn't require you to know EVERYTHING about SEA. She is more concerned about the major themes and ideas throughout the course. This class was manageable: Map quiz (just study/memorize), 3 Quizzes for 3 memoirs (2 of which were graphic novels!), attendance, and one final research paper. We had three extra credit opportunities. No midterm, final, or presentations. Some sections of the class tune out, but it isn't hard to get the most out of it.

Lmao she got us pizza and had a beer with us for the last class meeting. Class was a seminar with a few essays, but it was pretty fun seeing people debate things

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...