Margaret Sarkissian - Smith College, Northampton, MA

Professor: Margaret Sarkissian

Department: Music

College: Smith College, Northampton, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ANT258
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She's very sweet. As long as she knows you're working hard (participating and being engaged helps) she'll like you. GO TO HER FOR HELP IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, she didn't grade me well on something and after I asked her for feedback and help my grades got significantly better. She's honestly a really nice woman and incredibly smart.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MUS202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

She words her intentions in offensive ways, but I really don't think she means it personally. She's snippy one day, but by the next it's a clean slate, and that's what I liked about her--she never holds grudges. The discussion can become tedious, but it's an easy grade if you participate (ALOT), and papers are quite easy. Her British accent helps;)

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MUS202
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Sarkissian is an intelligent woman and is respected in her field. Her class made me appreciate music's role in society a lot more. However, there are a lot of assignments for this class (4 five-page papers and 3 fieldworkgroup projects throughout the semester). If you do the assignments and participate in discussions, you'll do well.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MUS202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Ive never been more disappointed and frustrated with a professor. To those on here who say you need to work for a good grade, that is complete bull. I took every paper of hers to the writing center, and even met with her about them before I handed them in. I don't think i ever got above a B+. So unhelpful. So rude. So demeaning

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MSC1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I don't know what everyone's griping about. She wants you to put forth effort and be engaged in class. If you do that, you're golden. She gives ample opportunity to do well and even provides snacks sometimes. A bit eccentric, but that's a good thing sometimes. I really, genuinely like her as both a person and a professor.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ANT258
• 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:

Mean spirited and impossible to please. I should have listened to the other reviews on here...

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ANT258
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I don't think there is any winning with this woman. She may play favorites but there is something she doesn't like about everyone.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MUS220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really interesting, knowledgeable, and inspiring! Also a bit crazy, but passionate and helpful!

Rating # 9

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Doesn't seem particularly capable of independent analysis or presentation of primary or even secondary materials. Rather, she makes comments on it on a level that would be expected of a first-year Smith student. But much, MUCH worse than this, she plays favorites and holds grudges--it's obvious to everyone in the class, whether you fall in one

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MUSIC000
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took Japanese music with her at Amherst. It was painfully obvious that she learned the material the day before she taught it. That may work for grade school, but it doesn't work on a college level. She also plays favorites and holds grudges. This kind of lapse in professionalism is unforgivable in a college professor, in my opinion.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MUS220
• 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:

Terrible professor, plays favorites, and provides unhelpful criticism (especially on papers).

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MUS220
• 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:

It's like she doesn't really know anything about what she's teaching, that or she just doesn't understand how to teach it in a comprehensive way. SHe teaches world music, but she appears not to know much about music in general.

Rating # 13

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

umm... lets put it this way when she had on the front of a test booklet my friends name she still managed to spell it wrong. I don't think I need to say more...

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MUSIC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She's really intelligent and very engaged in the material. The more effort you put into the class, the more effort she will put in in giving you very constructive feedback on your papers. The class projects are also really fun... one my my favorite classes.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: WORLDMUS
• 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:

She's awful.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MUS101
• 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:

Very unhelpful. She managed to make class incredibly boring. Doesn't know basic music terms, yet is supposed to be a music teacher. Don't use big words in your papers. She takes points off for things she doesn't understand.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MUS100
• 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:

Looks at you like you're nuts if she doesn't like what you say in class. Made me want to participate LESS. Doesn't guide students through the learning process as much as she judges them for being incorrect. Very into what she thinks is right vs. wrong.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: WORLDMUS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She was excited by the subject and got the class to do a lot of interactive learning--very enthusiastic!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MUS101
• 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 # 20

Overview:

• Course: MUSIC
• 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:

I'm taking Music of the Whole Earth with her, and she DEFINATELY plays favorites in the class, she considerate to our concerns, and grades arbitrarily! She may know the material, but she teach it in a way for us to be interested in it though.