Christopher Johnstone - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Professor: Christopher Johnstone

Department: Communication

College: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

Johnstone is literally the best teacher you could hope to have at Penn State's CAS department. People who don't get him are stubborn and probably not very open to life experience. Sure he expects a lot, but so does life. I don't think there is a better rhetoric teacher on campus. Take the rhetorical hike with him but be ready to put on your boots

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CAS100H
• 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:

Johnstone has an inability to say absolutely anything in a concise way. He needs 35 minutes to describe the simplest thing. Because of this, he is the MOST BORING guy ever. More so than any of that, he grades SO HARD.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CAS100H
• 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:

I took this class to learn more than was offered in regular CAS 100, but this class was a joke. And by a joke I mean a blinding firestorm of unrealistic standards, lack of concrete learnable material, and negligent instruction. Our class was literally decimated by mid semester as >10% of people late dropped. Don't let this happen to you.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I agree with the previous comment. This class requires some actual work to get an A, but it's definitely possible. His lectures are long-winded but smart, and he genuinely cares about students. He posted lecture notes online when I took CAS 201, which helped focus his sometimes ambling lectures. A good lab instructor definitely helps, though

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

You know who wrote all of these bad reviews? Lazy people. I read these and expected Satan to teach me. But Dr. Johnstone a great guy. He cares about his students and his lectures are clear. Do the reading, go to class. If you don't put in an A effort, don't expect an A in his class. That's how it should be. Don't listen to these other lazy fools.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

He's a ridiculous hippie. Theres the saying "do you think i just talk to hear the sound of my voice?" and for him, I think the answer is yes. he talks WAY to much. You can't understand a single thing he says in class because he's so busy trying to sound smart. I can't believe he is a CAS professor because his communication skills are minimal.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

I may not be getting the grade I had hoped for, but I think that Prof. Johnstone is one of the most gifted teachers I've ever had, and certainly one of the best at Penn State. He is very committed to his students' learning, he is passionate about his subject matter, his explanations often relate abstract ideas to everyday life circumstances.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

he is a hater, hard headed, and should not be teaching the future generations.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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: N/A

Comment:

The only thing I learned was that if this is the standard PSU keeps in it's teachers past the age of 40 than they need to get into the 21st century.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CAS421
• 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:

Easily the most center-minded guy on this earth. Thinks that he has the answer to everything. Also got caught smoking weed. Just google him and find out why everyone thinks he's still in a haze of his own crap.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

Johnstone takes his teaching seriously and cares a lot about his students. His explanations are sometimes hard to follow because he goes into stuff really deeply, but so much of what he talks about makes you think about things that are important in life. Take the time to keep up with the reading, pay attention in class, and ask questions.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

ughh...awful class. Professor J is a nice guy, but way too smart to be able to understand. He just talks and talks and you might understand one or two words. Make sure you go to labs, thats what actually made things clear. The grading is very tough, papers topics are ridiculous, midterm/finals are insane. Don't take this class if its not required

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CAS201
• 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:

This was an alright class. Make sure you come to class and especially to lab. He can be really really confusing, but don't get overwhelemed. As him to clarify or ask your lab TA's and it won't be so bad. Make his class a priority though-- you can't stroll through it

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CAS200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Got an A in this class, but it was ALL because of the lab. The lecture helped me NOT AT ALL. Johnstone's arrogant, blathering teaching style actually offended me. Very likely one of my least favorite teachers ever. Tests are hard, but so what? He's a jerk, end of story.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CAS214
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CAS214W420
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Johnstone is one of the best professors I ever had. He's a very nice guy in and out of the classroom, VERY willing to help students if you JUST ASK HIM! A tough grader, especially on papers, but he WILL adjust the course according to what students like/hate. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CAS301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Talks far too much. Overly critical in a "quick jab while you're not looking" sort of way. Looks like a hippie, but really very right-wing when pressed on gender/race issues.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CAS214W
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Johnstone is great. Had him for speech writing class 2 years ago and he still stands out as one of the best professors I ever had. Very nice guy, very good professor, but he does tend to talk a bit much.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: SPCOM83S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

love and human relationships class... AHHH he is nuts, he's such a hippie and if your opinion isn't his opinion, your opinion is wrong! ask him about his garden. Nice guy but very hard grader and very earthy... it was not a good experience for my class