Andrew Ragni

Assigned reading before every class, but discussions were very easygoing. Wrote a total of 3 essays. Quick conference with him before every essay. Gave good feedback on essays.

Notable amount of reading, but Ragni doesn't seem to care if you don't do them. Two essays--an analysis and a precis--due throughout the semester. Final research paper 6-8 pages.

Because the class is pass/fail, there was definitely less pressure with grades. The class had three main essays and then a few writings in between. The amount of reading wasn't too bad, and if you didn't have time to read them thoroughly, it wasn't a big deal. Andrew didn't give us grades for the first two papers but mostly gave feedback and suggestions, which was helpful.

Professor Ragni is a wonderful professor. He is very kind and understanding. Class is fun, but still very informative. The course content was thoughtfully chosen and he did a great job at explaining.

I took Ragni's "History of Sexuality", which he changed from the prior year's "Colonialism, Imperialism, and Sexuality". He took Said out and the focus was mainly on Foucault. I was seriously disappointed with this change, particularly because talking about the intersections of imperialism and sexuality seems to be his strongest point. Ragni's funny and very lenient, this class won't be difficult and can easily be de-prioritized if you have other courses to focus on (since it's PDF). However, Ragni hates academia. I had to make sure, on my own, that I was learning a lot from the assigned texts--which were good and enriching, but he generally didn't seem very devoted to the rigor of the class. He's very complimentary and effusive which is really nice, and he's an interesting person, but my writing didn't improve at all.

As a first-year at Barnard, I wasn't sure what to expect from a mandatory FYW class. Andrew was one of the best ways to transition into the Barnard community. He was funny, warm, helpful, and supportive. The course was extremely interesting, and we talked about so many different topics, from Foucault to Kipling and a fair amount of Disney's Aladdin.

Very light. He is not strict about deadlines and is very accommodating. 3 assignments which is the standard for FYW and readings every week but you can easily get through the class without doing them and simply listening to discussions.

Professor Ragni is AMAZING. He is truly one of the kindest professors I have ever had and he genuinely cares about the well-being of all his students. He is extremely approachable, funny, easy going and really cares about the stuff he's teaching.

There were three essays, each one containing different content. He's very lenient with grading and has good critique when it comes to what can be approved. As long as you put in some effort, you'll pass with no problem.

This class was really fun! Professor Ragni creates a very welcoming environment, even for the shyest students. He doesn't force you to speak, and most of class is analyzing text that was supposed to be read before class. Overall, a really interesting class even for people who aren't too interested in the subject. We watched Mermaids at the end, which was pretty fun.