Phoebe Spinrad - The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Professor: Phoebe Spinrad

Department: English

College: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: EN520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Spinrad is one of the best Profs I have ever had. She is very passionate about Shakespeare and the entire history surrounding the era. She is a tough grader but she makes you learn to write a proper essay. Not a class for the faint of heart or those who don't like Shakespeare. All others, dive in! You will be sorry when it's over!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG520
• 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:

Best English class I had at OSU. Spinrad actually made me care about Shakespeare. Paper-grading was tough, but I managed decent grades after talking with her about my first paper.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG522
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I am dropping her class because it's almost the 7th week and I feel like I haven't learned a thing. If you're a visual learner, she is NOT for you. It seems as if she is not really connecting to any of the students. It's not that she's bad personally, I just can't follow her teaching style.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGL520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Listen, chumps. I got a C on my first midterm and went to her office and discussed my paper with her and I got nothing but A's and a lot of praise for the rest of the quarter. Can't write excellent papers? Don't take on the Spinrad cuz she'lll blast ur arse

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The first C I've ever received on a paper. Everyone is saying that she just wants you to reguritate what she says, however, when I did that on exams I got the comment "You're just re-writing what was said in lecture" written next to every essay. I still have no idea what she wants from her students, except to be able to tear apart their every word.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG395
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She wanted us to "dig deep" into the play "Everyman", which is about as deep as a puddle. I felt like I had to dumb down what I was capable of writing to get a good grade in this class.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGL520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Spinrad is the diggity dawg smiggity smog. When you get your first midterm back you will want to cut off her hands and bury them. And then, when you let go of your ego, you will see that she was totally right in tearing you apart. Anyway, Spinrad knows her shakespeare. She will provide you with really profound insights to the PUREGENIUSofSHKSPR

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGH220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Grades like you ate her children, but once you go see her in her office, she lightens up. You can't BS a paper in this class. She takes attendance (before class and after the break, so no sneaking out.) She's a tough professor but she does really care about shakespeare. A bit weird though, I wouldn't really recommend her.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGH590
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If you enjoy Renaissance Literature, maybe you'll love her. Maybe you'll even love the C papers she'll return to you too.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG562
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Spinrad is totally awesome. I really enjoyed her teaching style, and the class discussion. She's pretty awesome. I found her to be a very, very hard grader, though (my first C on a paper in my college career, I'm an English major and a senior), but yeah, I definitely earned that C.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Spinrad was entertaining overall and really loves the material but only gives you half the class time for an essay exam and expects you to write every single detail and exactly the way she wants to hear it. Be ready to write for exams!!!!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

You will not be "analyzing" Shakespeare's plays in this course. Instead you will be spoon-fed Dr. Sprinrad's own personal interpretation of the text and God help you if you stray from that interpretation on tests or papers. Banking style education at it's finest. Recommended for anyone who doesn't mind being told what to think.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI522
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Phoebe's way rad!!! TAKE HER! :)

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

There are many things that can be said about Spinrad. I went into her class loving Shakespeare and everything he had ever written. Now I detest Shakespeare and the pretentious academic bullcrap that he represents. This is OSU, not 'Nam, and I don't need a drill sergeant as my professor. Spinrad has ruined Shakespeare for me forever. Thanks, Phoebe.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG522
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I didn't find this class as hard as everyone else seemed to--the Captain is pretty straightforward about what she expects on tests and papers, and her lectures are very enlightening and engaging. Wicked sense of humor. I got As on every test and assignment, so it's definitely not impossible.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGH220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr.Spinrad is a VERY VERY EXTREMELY Hard grader. She expects ALOT out of you, especially in Honors classes. Be ready to read critically and in depth of the plays.Be prepared to have you papers Dissected. Overall, it is clear that she loves what she is doing and knows alot. Go to office hours for any and EVERYTHING.....in the end it should pay off.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG521
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I agree with the above. I want to emphasize a point: she can be a subjective and erratic grader. On each of 5 essays of an exam over ONE play, I got an A-, B+, B-, C, C-. Having read, attended class, and studied I can only assume there is a flaw in her grading style. MANY OTHERS experienced this and shared the frustration that this "quirk" caused.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Learned a lot from her but that didn't seem to matter in my grades. She expects you to parrot back exactly what she thinks, not to use your own ideas. Interesting lady but has sucked any bit of enjoyment out of Shakespeare for me.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGLISH520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The best I've had at OSU yet. Knowledgable, interesting, sarcastic, and entertaining. Regardless of how you feel about Shakespeare, take the class. PS. She TELLS you EXACTLY what will be on the exam.