Ocampo, Ambeth R. teaches at Ateneo de Manila University. Across 37 comments from students, they hold a rating of 4.4 out of 5. Students score them 3.7 out of 5 on clarity, 3.0 out of 5 on grading fairness, 3.8 out of 5 on workload and 3.3 out of 5 on willingness to retake. Of those comments, 31 read positive, 1 read mixed, 4 read neutral and 1 read negative. They are listed for 3 sections this term.
Ocampo, Ambeth R.
Ateneo de Manila University · 37 comments
What students said
positive 31
neutral 4
mixed 1
negative 1
Ocampo, Ambeth R.4.4
Background
Leans worth takingEducation · Career · Courses · PublicationsShowHide
Leans worth takingread from published reviews and public records · medium confidence
Take him for HISTO 11 if you want the stories, discussions, and primary-source work and will actually write the papers — including optional ones. Every remaining voice is glad they took him. Skip him if you need a light GE or an easy A: the writing load is the cost they all name.
Suits
students who already like history and will enjoy long lectures
writers willing to do required and optional papers
students who will digest readings without a lecture recap
Look elsewhere if
shoppers who want a light HISTO 11
Ocampo, Ambeth R. | Ateneo de Manila
students who need an easy A
students who will not read or write weekly
PhD · D.P.A. (honoris causa)
History (cultural history, intellectual history, art history, social memory)
Education
D.P.A. (honoris causa), Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Career
Professor, Ateneo de Manila University · Department of History · current
Chair, Ateneo de Manila University · Department of History
I took Professor Ocampo's History 11 class in my second semester freshman year, and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. Surprisingly, I managed to snag an A, but to this day, his grading system remains a bit of an enigma.
He rarely holds synchronous sessions, and even when he does, they're usually optional. But trust me, they're worth attending! He has a fantastic sense of humor and often shares fascinating anecdotes about his life as a historian, even if they're not directly related to the course material. Plus, if you do attend, be sure to participate actively – ask questions, share your thoughts, and engage in discussions. It shows that you're invested in the material and can leave a positive impression.
Now, let's talk about the workload. Brace yourselves for a considerable number of reflection papers. He'll assign them on a wide variety of topics, ranging from the extensive and sometimes challenging readings to more unexpected and thought-provoking subjects like your childhood favorite food or the complexities of Spanish colonialism. The tricky part is that he never explicitly states which papers are graded, so it's crucial to give your best effort on every single one. Don't slack off on any assignment, as you never know which one might significantly impact your final grade.
But fear not, there's a silver lining! He also included two bonus activities that were a welcome change of pace. We got to visit museums and write reflection papers about our experiences, which allowed us to connect the course material to real-world examples and explore history in a more tangible way.
The online format meant no long, stressful exams, primarily just papers. He appreciates it when you bring fresh perspectives and critical insights to the readings, so don't be afraid to think outside the box and offer your own interpretations.
One unique aspect of his class is his grading policy: he drops your highest paper grade. So, if you have an A, a B, and another B, he'll discard the A. This might seem counterintuitive, but it actually emphasizes the importance of consistent effort throughout the semester. Don't rest on your laurels after acing one paper; keep pushing yourself to improve and learn from each assignment.
All in all, while getting an A might require dedication, consistent effort, and a bit of luck, it's definitely achievable. Just stay on top of the readings, put your best foot forward on every paper, actively participate in class discussions, and embrace the unique challenges and opportunities that his class presents.more
Icy Gecko
The goat, but the workload is absolute hell
positive
Retake?Yes
LeniencyYes
WorkloadHeavy
±10/10 experience HAHAHAHAHHA, that man truly is the goat. i do agree that as long as you do good in your papers that you should be well off with your grade. doesn't mean you get an A tho.
sir doesn't really discuss the readings, but there is A LOT. and you can't even get away with not reading them since you need them for your papers. you will also do a lot of hands-on things with regards to primary sources. it is true that the workload is absolute hell HAHAHAHA
required papers is 9 so far yes (indiv n group), but including optional essays and for other reqs i think i've written 14 for him. you'd be writing essays and doing readings over and over again to a point that you can't help but be burnt out. he's very open-minded with your insights, and loves learning from what you write. JUST DO NOT BE LAZY WITH THE ESSAYS. the way he grades his quizzes should also be a canon event for you guys but i think its gonna be revealed one way or another LMAO
overall, i'd absolutely take him just for the "ambeth ocampo experience", would def wear that badge with honor once you survive him LMAOmore
Anonymous
Digest the readings; 800-word papers can work
positive
CourseHISTO 11
Retake?Yes
hey there! "A" student of ambeth ocampo here ^__^ i'm speaking strictly from personal experience, but histo 11 has made me super passionate about the subject that I forget that i'm writing papers as a requirement! one advice i could give is to really take the time to digest and understand the readings, and go wild with how you interpret them! sir ambeth appreciates a curious mind, but also one that knows how to put two and two together in order to form a sound insight. you don't have to overcomplicate things and yap your way through—im not sure if he'll change his mechanics for this year, but in our class he follows an 800-word minimum cap, so you can keep your works as short as that as long as theyre structured and substantial. also! i cannot stress this enough, do the bonus works/homeworks! at the very least, you'll be assured of having a couple of points racked up for your grade. this may sound clichè, but if you got profs like ambeth, you'll get to appreciate the subject even if history's not your passion/forte. buena suerte!more
All comments
Vivid Bison
A-able, history as one big chikahan, no regrets
Retake?Yes
4.0 attainableYes
OCAMPO!!! A-able, definitely not impossible but not the easiest either! Never a boring lecture with him kasi parang isang malaking chikahan and kwentuhan ang history sa kanya. During my time, it took me 3 days to choose between Habana and Ocampo. It was only during enlistment itself that I found myself choosing Ocampo and no regrets since then. It's not everyday that You can have a national historian as a prof. Super cool pa kasi hindi siya boring at all. Life-changing and super fun talaga siya!!! His papers may ask you to visit the National Museum and Intramuros but I swear, super worth it... pweds pang-date hahaha. You'll sit in class in alphabetical order and you'll take the LTs in groups tapos only one paper gets checked. Im GC kasi so i was worried about this pero tbh, the bulk of the grade is on the papers talaga and kaya siyang A. I can help you if ever you choose him hahaha just go Ocampo!!! No regrets!!!more
Fancy Panda
If you don't mind a lower than average grade, ocampo is the best
positive
If you don't mind a lower than average grade, ocampo is the best
Anonymous
Never a dull moment, easy papers, not recommended
positive
Retake?No
4.0 attainableYes
WorkloadLight
OCAMPO NEVER A DULL MOMENT!!!! EASY LANG PAPERS HAHAHA KAYANG GAWIN 2 HOURS BEFORE THE DEADLINE HAHA (Not recommended, pero i still got B/B+ with said papers haha)more
Lucky Hare
Kwento days, heavy papers, no curve, still worth it
positive
Retake?Yes
WorkloadHeavy
OCAMPO IS BY FAR THE BEST PROF IN ATENEO (for me at least). His classes aren't the usual lectures because everyday is just another kwento day about his Rizal experiences and stories. Not only are his stories insightful, but they're absolutely hilarious as well! He's quite heavy on papers as he gives you many places to visit and write about. He has high expectations with your papers and your unit test will be graded based on the number of group mate he picks. (So basically, you'll all take the exam pero your grade will be based on one person from the group). I personally thought his exam was managable because it was open notes naman and all based on the readings/field trips. He does not curve at all but I swear, he's so worth it!!!!more
Witty Zebra
Don't ask just do. Hard but worth it.
positive
Ocampo. don't ask just do.
Hard but worth it.
Mellow Gecko
Write however you’re comfortable; good writing gets As
positive
4.0 attainableYes
LeniencyYes
Hi! Nearly all (or all, i forgot it was first semester last year) of my papers were graded As, and I write creatively (with really poetic prose if you get that). Despite that, some do write it like more of a research paper or in your words—formal, so it doesn’t really matter as long as you write “good.”
Write whichever way you are comfortable with!more
Rapid Robin
Always read your readings, helps with tests and writing
positive
(1)
Always read your readings, too! Might be okay not to do so short term since he's lenient if you admit you didn't read them but it'll help you with tests and writing requirements in the long run 😬more
Vivid Moth
Do every bonus paper and recite to lock an A
positive
4.0 attainableYes
WorkloadHeavy
as per experience, he grades high if its humurous AND informative
he really wants to see your perspective regarding the topic
do ALL the bonus papers even if its tedious to secure A and try to recite in his class, it could pull up your grade by doing all thatmore
Noble Ibis
Bump, how does he grade?
Fancy Falcon
One cannot prepare for his tests
One cannot prepare for his tests
Anonymous
From my time, it was essay format.
neutral
From my time, it was essay format. Open notes, open everything but catch is only one among each quintet will be picked, and his grade will be the grade of the whole group.
PS: DO NOT try to cheat or give any body language of trying to do it in the unit test. He does not tolerate that. (He caught 2 people cheating and he ripped their bluebooks in front of us)more
Anonymous
What my group did was we made a gdoc with summaries for each of the readings.
positive
What my group did was we made a gdoc with summaries for each of the readings. We assigned one reading per person to make the summary for that reading and we compiled all of that in one gdoc. Yun yung ginamt namin na notes.
But honestly, if hindi rin nabasa ng isa sa groupmates mo yung the whole thing, sobrang sayang lang effort hahaha kaya do your best to do group studies kasi treat it as grade ng isa, grade niyong lahat.
But super fun ng tests ni sir!! Ma-loko kasi siya haha pero keri!!more
Brave Zebra
Light load, easy B+ if you show up
4.0 attainableYes
WorkloadLight
Sir Ambeth is the best, at first I was scared to take him since his grading basis is a bit high and 75 and below is failing but trust me, you will not fail as long as you attend classes. He also curves if he knows you put in effort and do the additional requirements. His workload is also very light, it was really easy to get a B+ and like tbh you don’t really need to do all the readings.more
Icy Finch
The goat, best prof in Ateneo
positive
Retake?Yes
Sir Ambeth is the goat, The best prof in ateneo.
Calm Tiger
Worth it in intersession, papers every few days
positive
WorkloadHeavy
You won't finish all his lectures during intersession, but the stories and insights are definitely worth it. Be prepared to read more within the shorter sem. Also, papers would be every few days. Still though, get him!more
Clever Gecko
best!!!!!! I love him!!!!!
positive
WorkloadHeavy
best!!!!!! I love him!!!!! He makes you write a lot of papers though and makes you visit different museums!
Anonymous
Bump, how does he grade? :)
neutral
Bump, how does he grade? :)
Lively Finch
The Ambeth Ocampo experience is worth it
positive
The Ambeth Ocampo experience is great, for you get to travel for some of the papers, the stories and lectures are awesome, but since Intersession is short, it will seem cut. However, the experience is worth it.more
Rapid Koala
Easiest A if you submit on time and do the bonus papers
positive
4.0 attainableYes
LeniencyYes
easiest a ull ever get as long as u submit on time and do all bonus papers
Jolly Moth
It was very easy tbh.
It was very easy tbh.
Had to time travel lang to the 1890s to talk to Jose Rizal(I call him Peps we’re close now actually) and get to know him yourself. Go back to the present with tea from your new national hero bestie et voila, easy A.
P.S. don’t tell him about Mi Ultimo Adios unless you wanna mess up another timelinemore
