Gary Schmidgall - Hunter College, New York, NY

Professor: Gary Schmidgall

Department: English

College: Hunter College, New York, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG352
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Gary is awesome. Hes a true lover of literature and he challenged me to be extraordinary. I will always be grateful. -a rad Hunter student, class of 08

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG353
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I've never had a prof consistently grade everything with such care and detail. It motivated all of us and by end of the semester we were all better writers and thinkers. Yes, there were lots of written and reading assignments; regular attendance was rewarded; and the exams were designed to demonstrate how much the students learned from the course.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG389
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Show up, on time, regularly, and participate. A tough grader on assignments, more lenient weighing everything together for final grade. My only complaint is that his expectations for written work are unpredictable and inconsistent. You can write good papers that he won't like for some fairly capricious reasons until you figure out what he's after.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG353
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

OMG Avoid this professor. He is so hard while grading. And he makes something as interesting as Shakespeare boring. I took the class for fun, and regret it so much. He is slow, and not audible, and it is hard to stay awake in his class. Plus he gives up to 5 papers, a mid term and finals, and a lot of extra things to read (apart from 6 novels.)

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL338
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

THE ABSOLUTE WORST DO NOT TAKE EVER!!! He doesn't understand why students can't spend their entire lives reading and re-reading the texts, and when I explained to him why I didn't re-read the text, he told me I should quit my job to spend more time doing school work. The worst.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 252
• 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:

Knowledgeable about the subject he's teaching, but you have to have the same opinions he does in order to do well. VERY harsh grader because he was an editor, yet almost everything he emailed or put up on blackboard had a typo or grammar mistake.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG252
• 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: Mandatory

Comment:

AVOID. Self-absorbed, he has perfect attendance and expects everyone else to as well, was told I'd be kicked out of the class after giving him a drs note and missing a total of 5 classes (3 were snowdays). Calls you out on yawning.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG252
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Wow, I wish I read this before I registered. Unfortunately, his class is mandatory for all English majors. Very opinionated. Don't yawn in his class or twitch or anything because he will throw a hissy fit over it. Makes his students look stupid. Also has a thing about being late -- but that is rather justified. Don't expect any snow day mercy.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL252
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

by far the worst professor I have ever taken. He uses interesting texts for the class. but he himself is boring. He does not care for the opinions of students and will lower your paper grades if your ideas do not match his. Dropped the class because I was not going to be in the country during that week and he refuses to even talk about accomodating

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENG338
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I am taking him now, he is a nightmare. Just wants to impose his thoughts on you, and does not care for your opinion.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG338
• 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:

He is the most boring prof at hunter probably. Is unorganized and does not care for your effort. Only wants his own thoughts on papers and his exams are extremely hard.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG338
• 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:

Worst professor. I never leave comments in here and this is my first time bc I want to warn others. He grades papers like we are in grad school and only gives good grades if you write what he wants. Does not take attendance or dedication or effort in consideration, absolutely heartless. Please avoid

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG338
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Worst professor. I never leave comments in here and this is my first time bc I want to warn to warn others. He grades papers like we are in grad school bc he was an editor and only gives good grades of you write what he wants. Does not take attendance or dedication or effort in consideration, absolutely heartless. Please avoid

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: 33800
• 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:

There is a fine line between being critical of papers and just liking the way your pen marks look against it. I don't mind tough graders, but I don't think this professor was in that ballpark. He's been teaching for a while (my other ENG prof had him in undergrad) so I don't know if hes always been like this. Just know what you're getting into.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG380
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

i would not recommend this professor at all he is absolutely terrifying and although he might know what he's talking about, his horrid personality completely takes away from the lecture and you're left just scared of whether he'll call you out for no reason. also got a feeling that he's a bit of a misogynist so...

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG354
• 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:

O.K., here's the rundown on Professor Schmidgall. He is NOT a professor you take when you want an easy A. There is a lot of work, he is a challenging grader and his midterms and finals are a little ridiculous if you ask me. However, he is extremely committed and dedicated. Papers are graded ASAP and he is very intelligent.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG398
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He wasn't my favorite English professor, but I liked him. I found him to be incredibly knowledgeable and opinionated (with is sometimes a good thing, and sometimes bad). If you attend every class he'll give you 5 extra points on your final grade..that was a nice surprise at the end of my semester. Overall, he's a good professor, but very intense.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG389
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

If you have any interest in literature, pleasure avoid this man. The only knowledge that you will come of this class with is that of his (tireless) opinions and totally close-minded interpretations of the text... which of course you need to regurgitate if you wish to do well. avoid

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENG1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

AVOID

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG389
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I have yet to meet a professor (I use this label lightly) who has provoked within me such an aversion to an English class. A boring, self-absorbed lecturer, this man is possibly more egotistical then Wilde himself. His "knowledge" of the subject matter is obsessive and his class req. serve no purpose. Avoid at all costs. Awful teacher, awful human.