Aruna Srivastava - University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Professor: Aruna Srivastava

Department: English

College: University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGL376
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

She is a great person, however good luck knowing where you stand grades wise. If you ask her a question she tends to go off topic and you really have to read between the lines to know what she wants. A lot of reflecting, and no structure. Definitely did not seem like an English course.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENGL201
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Unbelievably shoddy professor. Most classes are ineffectual lectures with no real benefit to whats actually graded in the course. Rambles on about personal stories which hardly tie in to course material, group time is buffoonery, and ill-defined assignments are met with towering expectations. If you can drop, I strongly advise it.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENGL201
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

There is no structure to this class whatsoever. Objectives are hard to understand even if you ask her. This class is more indigenous studies than an English class. Also we did not do any creative writing or story storywriting....

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGL201
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Felt more like INDG201 than ENGL201. Was more research Indigenous history than approaches to literature. The hardest part of this course was navigating your way through it by yourself b/c there was no syllabus or concrete organization. If you keep up with work weekly then you'll be fine. If you hate group work I'd avoid classes with Aruna.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

She is a nice lady but the class lacked structure. The class was mostly first years and it was confusing because it was extremely unorganized. She lacked clarity on most topics and I had to guide myself and hope I did enough to do good enough in the course. The class felt more like social studies than english and she forced group work too much.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Like stress, crying, praying for a train to hit you? SAY NO MORE

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: INDG399
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Awesome Professor!!! Highly recommend

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGL203
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Good person, bad prof. Barely a structure to the course, topics are boring and forced to work in groups, as if it's still high school. If you don't like assigned groups, you're screwed. Not to mention, attendance is necessary. Only good thing, she doesn't care about due dates. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGLENG
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I took one of her classes a while ago and it was one of the most rewarding and eye opening experiences of my life. Dr. Srivastava really asks you to question, critique and challenge the arbitrary structures and standards of society and as a result you become a better thinker and scholar. She is also one of the kindest people I've ever met.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: INDG399
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Bad! Not interesting at all, I do not recommend this prof or this course!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: INDG399
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Just awful! Do not take this class and do not take it with this prof!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL507
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

She is an amazing prof. The reason she doesn't set rigid guidelines is because she wants you to think for yourself. If you are genuinely interested in academic development and intellectual growth, and if you want to engage with texts on your own terms, take her classes. If you are lazy and prefer quite prescriptive and reductive analysis, do not.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Absolutely useless professor. No structure or organization to her class at all. Her assignments and marking scheme were nonsense.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGLENGL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Aruna is a very intelligent woman who tries to emphasize what she expects from students throughout the term. If you have any questions regarding what she is expecting from you- be sure to ask or else it may seriously effect your grade. Clarity is a weakness so this is again why you need to ask questions. Don't take this class if you love structure!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGL388
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Aruna is a great teacher. I think many negative reviews have appeared because she teaches in a very unorthodox manner, and students are not willing to put aside their ideas about how a course should be taught in order to learn something new. Understanding that the educational system is ideological rather than concrete will help you succeed.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Really nice person, but terrible teacher. I honestly learned nothing in this class and it felt like she was talking in riddles the entire time. If you can, AVOID this professor as it will save you from a lot of stress and frustration.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGL203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Aruna is very nice and caring. I'm sure she would be a great friend if you wanted one. However she is not a very good teacher. She provides little information and poor clarity on the purpose of an assignment.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGL203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This prof is absolutely useless. The class was 'THE POLITICS AND ETHICS OF GAMING'. She is a 50 some year old woman who spends all her time sitting in front of a computer and playing video games and she expects us to do the same. She doesn't explain her assignments properly and complains when people don't ask her questions USELESS DONTTAKETHISCLASS

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGL492
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I have taken two English classes with Aruna (English 302 and 492) and I they were the most interesting and rewarding classes I have ever taken. Although her classes are thought in the most unconventional ways, I found that I learned more with this type of teaching. I definelty recommend her class to others.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL504
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This lady had the audacity to tell us in her class that it had taken her 10 years just to get her BA because she had 8 Fs on her transcript. Now, I do realize that everyone makes mistakes and everyone learns differently, but 8 freaking Fs?!! This lady is not serious about education and it shows in her teaching method and grading system. Avoid her!