Jonathan Burston - Western University, London, ON

Professor: Jonathan Burston

Department: Media Studies

College: Western University, London, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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: N/A

Comment:

For the love of god, do not willingly take one of his courses. He doesn't post slides (nor will he allow TAs to send them out), refuses to have OWL. He makes you go to the library to do the readings there. Some wonderful person scanned them all and sold them (worth it!), but I think I killed 1000 trees printing them off. And they're useless anyway

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: 2100001
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Burston teaches one of the most redundant and boring courses in MIT. Same ideas, different words. Spends too much time talking without saying anything. Awkwardly has a TA operating his slides for him. He is unnecessarily snappy at students, refuses to make an OWL page to force us to lecture, gave my TA a script, textbook is useless.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

Easily one of the best profs that I have had in university thus far. Burston is incredibly talented at teaching and breaking down the concepts of political economy to the class in a straight forward and easy to understand fashion. The readings are also very interesting and add a great deal to the class rather then supplement. Overall a great guy!!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

Excellent Class. Burston really knows what his stuff. Lectures really flowed well and were fascinating to listen too. Had a great sense of humour, and was overall a really interesting guy to listen too. Glad he is teaching one of the foundational course in the program. If you work hard in the class you will definitely appreciate the rewards later

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Awesome Professor. Political economy class was very interesting/relevant. Did not use any slides although he didn't really have too since his lectures were so fascinating, and he often spoke off the cuff. Incredibly knowledgeable about subject matter. Also surprisingly friendly at office hours. Only rude to people who were disrespectful in class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Great Guy, a lot of people seem to complain about him. I don't really get it though. Taught probably one of the most practical and useful classes in MIT. Yes some of the material may be challenging, but that is really what we are here for. Too many people in this program think they can coast by not doing any work or learning anything for four years

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

The most brilliant professors I have ever had. Benign, authoritative and straight to the point. Devoid of the psuedo-intellectual drivel that permeates much of the modern pedagogical landscape. Not to mention breathtakingly handsome. A cerebral feast for the enlightened. Will captivate lectures with his satirical prowess and elevated acumen.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

Doesn't use lecture slides or upload anything online. Rambles for the entirety of his lectures and is actually painful to sit listening to. Avoid at all costs

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MIT2200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I'm surprised I actually liked this class and learned a lot about broadcasting, business and marketing. It sucks he does not use slides but he is funny and entertaining. (and he has a cute dog he brought it to our exam lol)

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

Smart cookie, horrible prof. Gets too wrapped up in his pretentiousness and leaves behind the students. Expects undergrads to do grad-level work (compare syllabuses, they're the same). You could learn tons from him in office hours, but you don't ever want to get marked by him. God-like knowledge and God-like arrogance, so just agree with him.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

Didn't care about students!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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 think by now we get the fact that he's arrogant. I'm over it. If you don't have something truly intelligent to ask, do yourself a favor and save it for the ta's, he's smart, that's why the seats all face HIM. Once you dig through his immaculate vocab, you'll learn a lot. Oh, and I'm a fan of the hot pink tie too.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

A lot of students don't like Burston. I, for one, thought he was utterly fantastic. Although somewhat pretentious and condescending at times, he's incredibly smart and passionate. Those who dislike him should stop expecting professors to be their friend.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MIT2100
• 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:

doesn't care about the students

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MIT201
• 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:

I really didn't like Burston, but his ties were always awesome. I love the hot pink one. I would never willingly take another class with him.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MIT136
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MIT201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A really nice guy, but not a really great teacher. I enjoyed his course content and material, but I couldn't separate the important info from the fluff. He read a lot of his lectures and seemed to enjoy his use of flowery adjectives over appropriately disseminating / educating his students

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MIT136
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

i have had the pleasure of being a student of Prof Burston several times now. while i agree that he is both arrogant and sometimes a prat, i would argue that this is part of his charm. his classes are always guaranteed a laugh, particularly his colourful similes, and you learn a whole lot too!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MIT201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

excellent prof. i hate lowest-common-denominator crap passing for university courses; like someone else said, if you can't stand the heat.... he knows a hell of a lot about his subject area, his lectures are interesting, the material is interesting, and if you take the time to go see him, you'll learn a hell of a lot. kind of a prig, but worth it.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MIT201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Definitely arrogant, but what upset me the most was how slowly he talked, how boring his classes were and how he downloaded an entire lecture (I think it was Merchants of Cool) and just read his sheet to us. Hello!! We're media students, didn't think we'd find that website, did you? His lecture was word for word and he gave no credit.