I've taken 2 classes with Paul- History 2C & 164IB and I had such a pleasant experience both times. He really cares about the material he teaches (especially 164). If you do the reading and go to class, its super manageable. I cannot recommend office hours enough. Getting to know Paul is one of the highlights of my UCSB experience!

Spickard's classes are not your average history classes. He tells it how it is and this probably offends many people. His classes WILL change your perspective on history, race, ethnicity, and social issues. He is a professor who genuinely cares about his students, and is passionate about his subject

Professor Spickard is by far one of the best professors on this campus. He assigns in-class written exams which are difficult to adapt to, yet his collaborative style and genuinely life-changing tips on speed-reading gave me by far the best learning and class experience I had in college. Cannot recommend him enough.

Spickard is an engaging but demanding prof. Lectures can be a bit unorthodox, but he truly wants you to learn. Staying on top of the readings is key - unstuckstudy was a lifesaver for me. Overall, a rewarding yet challenging class.

Prof Spickard is one of, if not the best, prof i've had at ucsb. You do have to do all the readings for this class and in depth, but he is such a caring guy. I've had my own personal experiences where he's reached out to make sure i'm okay and other classmates have experienced this. he does say some questionable things, but he loves to teach

Prof Spickard is one ofc