HUM · Columbia University
LitHum, by nature, has lots of reading, but besides the reading, the workload is very fair. There are, I believe, four or five assessments/quizzes throughout the semester, and I spent my time mainly reviewing class notes. The quizzes and assessments were fair as well, with most people getting good scores. There is a final paper, and then the final.
Reading is obviously standard lithum reading: usually comes out as 200-300 pages a week if it's the Iliad, Odyssey, or Aeneid, but the other texts in between give a nice buffer where it's closer to 100 pages a week. Unlike some lithum professors, Laura doesn't give us a midterm, rather she has multiple shorter assessments based on what we are tested on in the final. These are made up of short passage analysis, long passage analysis, and passage ID. There is also a final course reflection where you have the option of a creative project or a 4-5 page essay. Everyone is expected to be a class notetaker exactly once in the semester which you sign up for in the first class, and she'll have little reflections at the start of every month about your goals regarding the class. She's not a relatively fair grader and gives a lot of chances for you to show growth if you don't do as well on one assessment. Your final grade is also heavily padded by attendance and the course reflection.
My expectations going into LitHum were very harsh, considering it is a class that is frequently complained about; however, Professor DiNardo is nothing short of amazing - she is truly a great educator who knows what she is talking about. Compared to other LitHum sections, I have been so grateful for being in this particular one, as there is a perfect balance of work and ease. The discussions are always lucrative and productive, and I know that I will reflect on this class for a long time. Professor DiNardo highkey needs the golden nugget because she is so fierce and amazing.
A lot of people complain about their lithum professor at least in little ways and, to be honest, given my experience with Laura, I really don't get it. If you actually do the reading required of you (or even if you just try your best to keep pace) the class itself should be a breeze. Participating of your own volition is rewarded at least in the sense that she'll understand that you're taking her class seriously, but beyond that she does a lot of work to engage the class as a whole by splitting us into smaller groups for discussions or encouraging people to speak who don't as much. This review is coming from the viewpoint of someone who does yap in class, but I'm glad that she takes the points of all the other students. One of her strengths is definitely taking a comment from a student that wasn't really sure what they were talking about and making it something genuinely substantive, sometimes by reading their mind and rephrasing, and sometimes by connecting it to something they probably weren't even thinking about. She also does a lot to respond to feedback and her office hours are pretty accessible.
Very reasonable workloads - discussion posts and essays
She does a great job of balancing lecturing and facilitating class discussions. Her expertise is on Italian, and her section on Dante and Vergil were very engaging. She is also quite proactive in helping students during essay writing. Really enjoyed taking the course with her
She led discussions but really encouraged participations. Met with students for papers. Her expertise was Italian and so the Aeneid and Divine Comedy were particularly interesting.