English And Comparative Literature · Columbia University
standard assignments for UW, 2 hrs on a normal week of exercises, 6 minimum on a draft week, 15 minimum on a final draft week (not including class time)
Best teacher for creative nonfiction writing, definitely recommend.
This professor was very kind and a good teacher, but incredibly frustrating to work with and an unnecessarily harsh grader. Many people received grades they felt were not representative of their work, and most often the professor's feedback had nothing to do with the rubric or the format of the class. It felt like they were working against us instead of with us to teach us how to write. It was frustrating to be receiving such horrible (and undeserved) grades in this freshman core class while succeeding in other classes with similar assignments and rubrics. Another HUGE downfall to this professor was their complete inability to grade things on time, and lack of communication. Not once were our essays graded in a reasonable time frame, and every time they said they would grade them by X day at X time, it would be days or even weeks before we would get feedback, which was just absurd considering how quickly we were expected to write the next essay. They also talk to their students like they are kindergarten students, which is makes you feel like you're being talked down to. They even admitted that they don't communicate with others in that same tone in class. They also EVIDENTLY pick favorites and grade them much more kindly than others. I want to be sure to note that they are a lovely person, but are certainly not suited for the role of a professor. ADVICE IF YOU'RE STUCK WITH T…
12-13 hours during essay weeks (they grade those essays SO HARD FOR NO REASON) 2-ish hours on non-essay weeks
Quite possibly the worst grader I have ever encountered. Not only are the grades always posted weeks late, but they refuse to discuss why you received that grade and get offended/upset when you approach them about the reading rubric. I believe the reason why is because they simply don't have one. They simply read an essay and go "that feels like a B-". My classmates and I started joking that they would give C's to half the essays WE READ IN THE CLASS if we were to submit those as a progression essay, and it's true. They grade VERY harsh. Also, never have I ever encountered a professor that was so offended by discussing grades that I was told to "find other places where my writing is valued" (?????????). Also, their readings are unengaging and they don't provide any assistance to understanding the reading. It is painfully obvious that they pick favorites (typically the boarding school kids who already have experience with queer theory/advanced topics and can understand the reading). Also, they are not good at monitoring the class conversation, which leads to a boring and unhelpful class. I feel as though they do really love UW, but as a new prof, I believe they are going about it in the wrong way. Just like we are not perfect and in the process learning how to write, they are not a perfect instructor and need to understand that when the whole class is feeling alienated typicall…
10-12 hrs/week when there was an essay due, 2 hrs/ week when there was not an essay due that week.
Overall, Professor Etoniru is an absolutely excellent teacher but quite a harsh grader. What makes matters worse is that they are completely unable to defend their grading or offer an explanation as to why points were taken away. Their grading is entirely ambiguous and they are a late grader as well which makes it hard to know what grade you have in the class. However, they are sincerely an amazing teacher and lecturer, this is someone who clearly loves writing and loves teaching. Be in this class if you genuinely wish to grow as a writer.