Laura Doyle - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Professor: Laura Doyle

Department: English

College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG211
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I LOVE Professor Doyle. She is so helpful and if you love English, her class will be an amazing experience. I couldn't recommend her more highly. One of my favorites here at UMass.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG200
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Prof Doyle is incredible. The reading material was interesting and supplemented with background info to help further educate you on the era. Class discussions were mandatory but missing a few is not too disastrous. She did not merely lecture and instead invited the class to share their views, allowing the conversation to explore different concepts.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG200
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Doyle is probably one of the most stun teachers I've ever had. It's become quite obvious for will suffer anytime my opinion differs from what she believes is the only way to write, which is completely different from what I was taught in freshman college writing. I don't know who these other students had but she is the not the same.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: 300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Sweet, but tough- for a purpose though. She cares deeply for students. If you show that you are committed: you are willing to print out all of the lengthy readings, read carefully, and participate thoughtfully, she will reward you. Her office hours are wonderful- she helped me write my best paper of college. Such a nice lady.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof Doyle doesn't hold your hand through material or guide you towards a "right answer." In order to do well you probably need to have some interest in the texts/subject otherwise you'll be miserably lost when deciding on paper topics. Yes her expectations are high- she respects students and learns from their ideas. Highly recommended.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG300
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Laura expects a lot from her students because she respects them as writers. If you're looking to coast then don't take her class. If you're looking to learn and improve as a writer then take as many of her classes as possible. Her feedback is great and her readings are insightful.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGLISH300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Doyle is infinitely removed from the contemporary society in which she teaches. She has unlimited potential to empower us, yet her ideals of perfection are detrimental to her students. Her class leaves us wishing we had taken an empowering course that cements practical knowledge rather than the opinion of one disillusioned woman.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGL200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Doyle believes she is a guru dispensing wisdom from on high to the peasants at her feet. She does not take her students seriously and won't listen to opinions that differ from hers. Her system of choosing course material can be inexplicable; she tries to bend the readings to her own agenda regardless of what can actually be drawn from them.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: 200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

A really nice, understanding person. Readings were kinda all over the place in terms of content, but she understood that some what difficult. Leads productive class discussion. Fair grader. Looks kind of like Elizabeth Warren. Easy to talk to.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL270
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Extraordinarily kind, very generous, well spoken, passionate, accommodating... an excellent professor and person!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG270
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Laura is awesome! She is kind, sweet, and very involved in the class. Anyone who says she is difficult is just afraid of actually doing the classwork - yes, you have to read the assigned books and complete the very few homework assignments. But it's all simple stuff. She likes relating books to their history. I would take a class with her again!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL270
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Brilliant, understanding, and inspiring.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL200
• 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 love this professor! If you admire intellectuals and esteem oral and written eloquence, take 200 with her! She will give you thoughtful criticism, and will engage in fruitful dialogue about words and stories and everything wonderful about being an English major.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGL200
• 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:

Taught at Harvard for 8 years and has been at the university for 15: really knows what she's talking about. Her voice belongs on NPR. She's incredibly kind and remarkably open-minded. Her standards for writing and conversation are very high. The class was, at times, a challenge, but a worthwhile (and mandatory) one at that.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG211
• 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:

Laura Doyle was my favorite professor at UMass. She will challenge you, and not accept junk for work, but she had the most lasting impact on my academic career and encouraged me to think and learn like no other teacher had before!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Got an A but one of the worst teachers EVER.Skips around in reading. NEVER explains. Nothing concrete to learn from.No class slides, No lecture notes u can take.She talks in a very abstract manner.Tests are therefore hard considering there is nothing to study from.boring as well.Skip the class,make sure u go to the discussions. DONT take for GENED

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Hated her. She loves the sound of her own voice. She addresses students like we're 3rd graders and assumes we know nothing. She made a big fuss over people leaving lecture to use the bathroom too. She pauses after she talks as though letting us taken in the depth of her wisdom *snort*. I love English but she killed this course. Horrible professor.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGLS115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I tried everything drink coffe before class. Sleep 10 hours before class but it didnt help every time I would go to class and she would start talking she would put me to sleep. A lot of reading 4 books! Hard concepts. My advice NEVER NEVER take this class I got a B.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This class is pretty easy, given that you stay on top of the reading. However, that can be difficult given the content. Doyle is a bleeding heart liberal, her readings provide cookie cutter perspectives from history's underdogs. If you know the old song and dance, it's easy to BS one's way to a strong grade.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She thinks she's Wicked Smart, which she is, but she totally rubs her intelligence in your face and pauses all the time during lectures as if to let her brilliance sink in. Lots of reading (both of novels and extremely annoying packets) and a few movies. Exams ask questions about specific book deatails and BSing can be very hard.