Comments:SOC 4352 and 4V70 - I took Dr. Mencken while studying abroad. I took both of his classes while abroad and I loved them! I learned so much and still had plenty of time to enjoy being abroad and I had very little school stress. Dr. Mencken is an amazing teacher and such a fun person to get to know! I cannot say enough good things about his teaching ability and him as a person. So funny and so kind. Highly recommend taking any class that you can from him! Taking his class means a semester full of laughs, learning, and fun!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:criminology - loved this class! super interesting material and he makes it all the more interesting. if you just go to class you should be fine on exams and quizzes. don't buy the book! i never used it and did fine.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:4352 - Dr. Mencken is one of my favorite professors at Baylor after taking this class. I enjoyed coming to class as he made the class enjoyable and actually interesting. He made lots of jokes and seemed like he actually enjoyed teaching the content. As someone who wants to go into criminal justice, I learned a lot in this class and would highly recommend him for anyone interested in criminal justice or criminology. The workload is pretty light as there is an assignment that was never much work every week and a packback question due every week. There are 5 quizzes and 3 tests which are all fairly easy if you have a basic understanding of what he teaches in the class. Everything on the tests and quizzes are from his lectures and powerpoints so there is no need to buy the textbook. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this class and was never stressed out. The only reason I did not get an A was because I did not prepare well for the first test and did not do well. Nonetheless, I would HIGHLY recommend taking him.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:SOC 4352 - Great guy. Super funny and chill. Course was easy, just make sure you study for the tests and do the homework and quizzes.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:1305 - Super cool dude. He's super funny and his stories are really interesting. Theres not work, except for the tests, so you have to really study for those, but they're all multiple choice and not too hard if you study  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:1305 - Taking his class was the highlight of my semester. I actually enjoyed this class and was interested in everything he covered. Prof. Mencken was hilarious and very helpful. He is super chill with exams. Make sure to study a good amount because the only grades are from exams but TAKE THIS CLASS!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:SOC 1305 - Soc 1305 with Mencken was the most fun and thoroughly enjoyable class I’ve taken so far at Baylor! Dr. Mencken is extremely knowledgeable in the topic of Sociology, and you can tell he is very passionate about it also. He makes his lectures so fun and engaging- the hour and fifteen minutes flies by like it's nothing. He has fun and interesting stories related to the content, which makes it easy to comprehend, and recall when facing questions on tests. This semester we only had 4 exams that consisted solely of multiple choice questions, and as long as you take notes in the lectures and from the textbook, and review them (I found making flashcards for the terms to be the most helpful) you will have no trouble being successful in this course. His test questions are deeper and more analytical than simply knowing definitions, but as long as you are consistently reviewing the content, and putting in a decent amount of effort, you will be fine. I would DEFINITELY recommend taking Mencken’s course.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1305 - Hilarious dude, wonderful teacher. Take his course if you want to listen to great side tales and retain his material simply because he makes it interesting. Loved this professor! Sometimes a little late on posting lectures but responds to emails super fast and fixes any issues on Canvas. No homework or quizzes, just the exams, (multiple choice). Study the PowerPoints, take some notes, and just enjoy yourself - would take his class again if I could!  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:SOC 4352 - Dr. Mencken is a super laid back and no BS professor. He tells things like they are, even when that might be uncomfortable. He’s always available for students and willing to help (I saw went to his office hours several times!). His exams can be tough, so make sure you read the book and pay attention to his lectures (yes this means showing up to class). Take him and you will learn!!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:4352 - Dr. Mencken is one of the coolest and best professors in the sociology department. He is super well-educated and actually knows what he is talking about. This class was essentially made up of 5 quizzes, 10 homework assignments, and 3 tests (including the non-cumulative final). HOWEVER - do NOT underestimate the quizzes. They're worth more than you would think and can be a real bummer for your grade. Also glance through your textbook before the tests if you care about yourself.  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:SOC 1305 - If you're looking for a class where you'll basically never have homework, take Dr. Mencken! I honestly think I did the textbook reading like one time (save yourself the money, don't even buy it) and he basically went over everything in class. My class had like 200 people in it, but 3/4 of the people never showed up since he never takes attendance and he uploads all the PowerPoints on Canvas. The only grades were tests and I'm not a super good test taker so this class was kind of difficult, but luckily he doesn't do A-. You will have to study really hard for his tests because they're about the application of concepts, not the definition. Besides that, he's overall a super great guy! Really funny, tells great stories, and shows funny animal videos before class (his laugh is honestly sometimes funnier than the video). I did use this class as a study hall to work on homework, but overall his class is super interesting- I would totally recommend it!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1305 - He is so funny and makes class fun. You do not need to read the book or anything, just go to class and take notes. No quizzes, just 4 tests which kind of sucks. But just study for his tests and you will be fine  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1305 - Mencken is a great prof, one of the ones you almost want to get to know outside of class. He always shows funny videos at the beginning of class, which is nice because 1. they're funny, and 2. you can almost always be like 5-10 minutes late to class without worrying about missing anything important, lol. He also has a habit of letting you out a few minutes early, which is always nice. As for grades, your only grade is the tests and the final, but thankfully, none of them are very hard - all multiple choice, not a huge deal, but definitely study. As long as you know the powerpoints' information (which he puts up on canvas), you should be fine. There is always like 2-4 questions each test that are very easy but refer to something he said in class, like some example, and you'll only get those right from going to class - they won't be found on the powerpoints! As long as you go to class and pay attention to his examples (usually given with interesting pictures or videos to help you remember), you're guaranteed to get those few questions right on the test. On the final he pretty much repeats old test questions, lol, so go review your tests with the TA! It helps a lot! For regular tests, study your notes/the powerpoints starting a few days ahead and you'll be fine. He likes to test on vocab if I remember right. Last but not least, DON'T BUY THE TEXTBOOK. Literally never even used it once, he'll tell you to keep up with the reading but literally unless you want like a 150% in the class you do not need the book and its way to expensive to buy just to never use!!!!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1305 - He is a really good professor, and hilarious. He is one of my favorite professors at Baylor, and he showed puppy videos all the time. He is really nice and if you have any questions you should go to him after class or make an appointment because he is really helpful and obviously cares a lot about sociology. He only has three tests, though, and theyre tests you have to study for if you want a good grade. Overall, I loved him. OH, and he doesnt take attendance, so you can skip if you want, but I wouldnt recommend it because sometimes he will ask about stuff he said in class. NEVER USED THE TEXTBOOK.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1305 - Mencken was my favorite prof & favorite class. we had no homework and got a huge boost to our grades with out "quiz" grades. But, the tests are difficult despite the easy topic. they are all application questions so you really need to actually know everything not just memorize. He doesn't take attendance, but I never missed a class and still ended up w a B. he's super funny and interesting I would take him again in a heart beat! he made the class really fun and interesting take him for sure!! (he shows puppy videos)  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1305 - If you're trying to take an easy A, DO NOT TAKE HIM. Sociology is easy with any other professor you take but this professor. Overall he is a nice guy but he makes the class really hard and don't get me wrong it's not too hard to make an A in his class (my friends did) but his tests were really tricky and you had to have studied a lot for them. Other than that, if you are a sociology major or a psychology major then take him otherwise take somebody else.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1305 - He is a hilarious professor, and the TA is always available and super helpful. His only grades are tests though, so there is no outside work besides that, but you have to study a lot for his tests. Overall, one of my favorite professors I have had so far.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:Crim - This was one of the larger upper level sociology courses. Housed in the same room that you'll take intro or any other 75+ student class. That being said, Dr. Mencken teaches from powerpoint, his tests directly mimic those powerpoints. The information he uses is current and he is always bringing in new current events to help the information stick. I didn't feel like this was a class that required a lot of work - like I said powerpoint teaching and tests were simplistic. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in crime or criminal theory.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1305 - Dr. Mencken is hilarious! He makes every lecture fun and interesting. I never got bored or found myself not understanding. He is very easy-going and I'm pretty sure he doesn't take attendance.... Be sure to study for quizzes because they are only 5 questions, but equal 100 points, so they can tank your grade if you're not careful. No homework besides reading. I never did the reading and did just fine, though. I highly suggest taking him!  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1305 - Easy class, just show up & take notes on the power points, the quizzes are easy, sometimes the lectures were boring & i fell asleep but he does post all power points online before the tests, the test were pretty easy if you studied, do the extra credit, NEVER used book, waste of money, do not buy the book he wrote, it will not be on the final, funny guy, great teacher! Highly recommend!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:SOC 1305 - I absolutely adore Professor Mencken! I wish I had more sociology classes to take. He is so funny, and such a good teacher. He always has a story that correlates with what we're learning about and it's really helpful. He tells you what you need to know for each test, so he makes it really easy to make a good grade. The sociology department also offered extra credit opportunities which helped a lot. I would recommend Dr. Mencken to anyone and everyone.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1305 - Very fun teacher with a great sense of humor, he made class fun. Make sure you know the powerpoints for the tests and you will be fine!  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:1305 - Not too bad at all. Just go to class and cram the night before the tests for an easy A or B.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:1301 - very funny and laid back. my favorite class all semester. loves his work and tests are incredibly difficult although you do have to study a good amount of time. i would definitely recommend taking him. i dont know of an easier professor for this class.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1301 - He's an interesting professor with great stories but there were only 3 tests and a final. If you don't do well on test(like me) don't take him. The class is pure powerpoint and no study guide.  - Grade In Class:C

Comments:1305 - He is a very humerous teacher and he makes coming to class fun. He loves to tell stores that relate to his family, friends, and sociology. And he uses powerpoints to help with terms. But his tests are horrible. They aren't vocab/term - they are examples of an issue and then you need to say which rule or problem it was. This can get confusing very quickly. I even went to see him and he thought the reason I wasn't doing well was b/c I was skipping and not taking notes. Well he thought I took wonderful notes (they were all there) and had good study habits. Take someone else if you want easy tests.  - Grade In Class:C

Comments:SOC 1301 - Study guides weren't at all helpful. Take Mueller.  - Grade In Class:D

Comments:1301 - Excellent prof, very humorous and teaches well. The notes are on blackboard and the tests are multiple choice and not too hard if you take good notes. We didn't ever use the book.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Soc. 1301 - He is really funny! He is a great teacher and the tests are pretty simple/ straight forward. Definitely a teacher worth having.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:SOC 1305 - I really enjoyed this class. Dr. Mencken is a great professor who really does his best to make the subject interesting and uses lots of examples. If you go to class, pay attention to his lectures, and study the vocab for each chapter, the tests are easy. This was a fun class and I feel like I learned a lot!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1305 - He is an awesome professor who makes the lectures interesting. He knows what it is like to be a college student and he is great at making you learn the material. His tests aren't too difficult, but they are kind of tricky and it's hard to make an A in the class. However, I would take him again.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:Intro to Soc - Def a good profesor. He likes what he teaches and cares about the students. Take him!  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:SOC 1301? - Read the below statements in which they are true. I think he is a good teacher and funny dry humor kinda guy. His first test is usually the easiest and his two middle test are the harder ones so study more for those. I wish he could have told us more on what to study but overall he was good. But do keep up on your studying!  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:SOC 1305 - mencken is cool. take him. all of his presentations are on powerpoint, and he posts them on blackboard, so all you have to do is print them off and take them to class. you dont have homework and the tests are multiple choice. the tests are a bit tricky, but they come straight from the notes and are mostly application of vocab words. he really tries to make the class interesting and cracks jokes all of the time. funny guy, take mencken. he gives extra credit.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:1305 - Professor Mencken is really a phenomenal person to take for intro. His lecutres are powerpoint and are usually very interesting.. His tests are not that difficult. Definitly take him if you get the chance..He truly loves what he does.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:1305 - Mencken is the teacher you want! Every class is a power point presentation, lectures are applicable to life, 3 tests, all notes on blackboard, no essays. I loved him as a teacher and his class is great.  - Grade In Class:B+