Masterpieces of Western Literature and Philosophy (Literature Humanities) · Columbia College Core
4 papers (very easy to get a good grade), participation, collaborative document, final, midterm (optional to take grade)
2 essays, both with rewrites. 4 quizzes, 1 explication in class, 3 take home reading comprehension Take-home midterm w/essay rewrite, no IDs. Midterm & final essays: 1 explication, 1 synthesis (also have to use books from 3 different genres).
2 papers a semester, no midterm, final he takes with a large grain of salt. The papers, though, are much longer and more in-depth than the other LItHum classes.
1 midterm, 1 final, three papers and a few quote ID quizzes a semester. Plus the reading, but you can get away with skimming and/or sparknotes for class discussions (though I don't recommend it)
The reviews that say she hates kids in the class is way too harsh. The workload was pretty easy, if you do most of the reading you will be fine. She grades harshly only at the beginning of the semester to get the students to try harder and ends up 'forgetting' your first paper if you don't do well and she is always very understanding when it comes to extensions. Although the class discussions were usually student driven, they were mostly interesting. If you don't do any reading, never talk and write bad papers she might not like you as much as kids who try harder, but she doesn't hate anyone. If you even put in a little effort you will be happy with your grade.
Normal lit hum reading, occasional ungraded written responses, three essays, midterm, final.
Readings can be rather long and dense, so try not to put them off if you plan on reading. You can get away with not reading sometimes (although I don't suggest it), but you do have Passage ID quizzes (they happen after the class finishes reading anywhere from 1 to 3, or even 4, books), which he may or may not warn you about. He drops the lowest quiz grade. Fall semester has 4 increasingly longer papers, and spring semester has 3 explorations (short papers exploring a recurring idea) and 1 final paper tying the explorations together. There's also a creative project, a midterm, and a final in both semesters. Midterms and finals don't have Passage ID because you've taken the quizzes (and I definitely prefer the Passage ID being on the quizzes because you remember more after recently finishing).
Great teaching and a really good guy - highly recommended. He was always really well prepared and got most of the class involved in discussion. He wrote more comments than any other teacher I've had. I really think he helped my writing. I couldn't go to his office hours but when I talked to him after class he was happy to talk and gave good suggestions. I feel luck that I had him for Lit Hum.
A little more reading than most of my friends, but not too bad. Martin's own additions to the syllabus were some of the best reading all year. A few short papers; open ended topics calling for a highly focused response. I liked doing the papers for this class.
A true horrorshow as a professor and a monster as a human being - all you can say (as everyone else has understandably been saying here) is AVOID AT ALL COSTS. She has no teaching skills to speak of and is famously known as one of the most singularly awful personalities on campus. Everyone switches out of her class, it's so bad. To summarize: Elisabeth Ladenson is an embarrassment to Columbia and to institutions of higher learning in general. If you get her, switch out if you can!!