First Year Writing @Barnard · Columbia University
Fun class! I didn't love all the reading choices but the great ones were really great. Papers are very reasonable and he gives very useful feedback. He's very accommodating and approachable.
Breyer is super chill. The class vibes are low-key and low-stress. He is very enthusiastic about the texts he assigns and will talk about them for hours if you let him. The classes are mainly just him lecturing, with some participation from students. There were never any discussions and participation was optional, so if you like to lay low and do something else during class, you can. He gives a lot of support with the essays, gives good feedback, and is always available during office hours. As for the content of the class, it was able to be interpreted in many different ways, so don't worry about not having something to write about. Just annotate while reading and you'll be good.
Professor Breyer is great! He's really funny, and the class is VERY chill. Most of the books are really good. If you want a low-stress class with an interesting topic (and a ton of freedom to write about whatever), I highly recommend it. He has funny stories to tell you, and he always hypes you up in class. You could say the dumbest thing and he'll spin it and offer some insight (I speak from personal experience).
Professor Breyer is a really good professor, in my opinion. He incorporates a lot of different perspectives into what is normally a very Eurocentric class/syllabus. The readings can sometimes be dense (especially since most of it is poetry), but he is really good at leading discussions and is also very supportive of people's opinions. My main critique of him is that he takes literally forever to grade things. He sends people's grades out as he does them, so your classmates might have something back in two weeks and you get it back a month later. He also can be kind of unclear about when readings and assignments are due. But, I would honestly say that I am glad I was in his class.
Professor Breyer is very approachable and gives awesome feedback. His office hours are very helpful to discuss paper topics and he really pushes students to delve into the texts in their papers through analyzing the texts thouroufhly. The classroom is an enjoyable space when he's teaching, however one on one meetings with him are much more productive.
If you're wondering whether or not to take a class with Professor Breyer DO IT. Just do it. He is one of the kindest professors I have ever met and genuinely cares about his students to a degree that I have yet to see in any other professor. I had Prof. Breyer for First Year Seminar at Barnard and, thanks to him, I feel much more comfortable in a seminar setting and in writing college-level essays. He is encouraging but also honest and gives good guidance, and if you have any questions or are just plain confused, Breyer is always willing to meet with you for as long or as often as you need. I think that some people are put off by his somewhat awkward demeanor, but, in my opinion, that just makes him all the more genuine and approachable. And, if nothing else, he has some pretty crazy and hilarious life stories that are 100% worth your time. I feel very lucky to have had Professor Breyer, especially in my first year, and would recommend him to everyone.
All in all, I was pretty pleased with Ben as a UW instructor. He definitely made it a priority to meet with his students before handing in each paper (which I really advise that you do) and basically tells you what you should do to improve on it. That being said, if you do what he asks it shouldn't be too difficult to get some form of an A in the end. In class he acts serious but does joke around more near the end of the semester. In conclusion, he's a nice guy who cares about his students.
Average (manageable readings every night), 3 Essays, some ungraded reading responses (1-2 pages)
You have to read the texts pretty quickly (like 1 week for a ~300 pg novel), so if you're a slow reader, start reading as early as you can so you don't get behind. There are ~20 short writing assignments are take 1 hour or less each. We had about 2 weeks to write each essay, so if you're a slow writer start early as well.
Breyer is a pretty ideal FYW professor. He is extremely patient, thoughtful, and supportive of each and every one of his students. He knows how to keep a class discussion both focused and interesting, and is very good at validating people's ideas and connecting them to other concepts. He is also good at throwing in a smattering of funny personal stories, awkward jokes, and the like. He really, REALLY cares about helping his students improve their writing, and this is evidenced by the detailed notes you will receive on your drafts and the time he takes at one-on-one meetings to explain his thoughts. Although he is a little awkward, he totally rocks it and he knows that. He also does fun things like brings in snacks for people's birthdays. Overall a really good intro into college writing. This class shows that it doesn't matter what the material is (Legacy is certainly not the most interesting FYW offered at Barnard), but the professor makes all the difference.