Mary Rigsby - University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA

Professor: Mary Rigsby

Department: English

College: University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

People say so many nice things about Rigsby, but she is not so great as an instructor. She seems to play favorites and even talks badly about other professors to students. Very unprofessional. I am glad she retired!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: 306Q
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this class to meet a writing intensive requirement and, it was writing intensive alright!!! There was a writing assignment that had to be submitted at least 5 times a week. Most of the assignments were not too difficult but there was just a ton of them. In my opinion, way too much work for a 3 credit class!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

she was so difficult and the class was on literary theory and all we talked about was how oppresed woman are.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGL295
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I have to admit I was skeptical about Dr. Rigsby at first but she ended up being one of my favorite teachers. Her enthusiasm is infectious. The material can be tough but if you have trouble with anything you can go to her office and she will go out of her way to help you. She does give a lot of assignments, though, so be prepared to WORK.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL295
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I loved taking 295 with Dr. Rigsby. It's a writing intensive and required for the English major, so expect a lot of papers and even a couple co-authored papers. She is a tough grader but is always very clear with her expectations, and if you follow her evaluation criteria you will do great on all of her assignments.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL295
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

She is really great teacher and lets you know what she needs from you. She does give a lot of work, expect a lot of reading and writing in this class. She sometimes gives extra credit, but very rarely. Make friends in the course so you can talk to them about what is happening in class or if there is something you don't understand.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ALLOFTHEM
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Rigsby is crystal clear with her expectations and is more than willing to help her students outside of class. Her classes are always a lot of work, (lots of time consuming assignments for little points) but if you just look at exactly what she wants and check off everything on her rubric when you do your assignments, then you're golden.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I have conflicting feelings about this class. While participation 'counted', I was there everyday, received B to B+'s on all my papers, and somehow ended up with a B while my friend missed about 5 or 6 classes, but got two B's,an A on the papers, ended up with an A in the class. Lots of shades of grey but very clear on her assignments/expectations.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• 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:

Her class isn't very hard but, as most others have said, she's a tough grader. She values her opinions above yours. Will only correct SOME mistakes and leave you hanging with the rest. Personally told me I'd get a C on something based on a first draft then gave me an F for the very same assignment and said she forgot she even read my paper.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• 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:

Professor Rigsby is a nice women who rewards people who try hard. Participation is a must in her class and you need to be ready to buckle down and work! It's a hard class, but she is a genuinely good teacher.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: 356
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I've taken multiple classes with Rigsby. She's one of those professors that grows on you over time. I learned more in her literature classes than I have with any other professor at UMW though. She's very into the biographical and historical context of novels, which is surprisingly fun and interesting. Easier grader in speaking than writing.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL355
• 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 love Rigsby! She's a great person and so enthusiastic about the subject. She's really willing to listen to new ideas and is pretty standard on her grading. I've heard she plays favorites, but I think she just rewards good class participation. If you read, go to class, and try to understand, she'll be willing to help you succeed.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1
• 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 is a nice lady but aside from that is not a great teacher if you are interested in exploring ideas beyond what she believes in her own head. Discussions were pointless. Her power points were pointless. I didn't read any of the books and was fine. Her grading doesn't make any rational sense. Just all in all a mess

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGL295
• 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:

Try to avoid Rigsby, and this class in general. She attempts to lighten up the drab material with jokes that will leave you laughing uncomfortably, at best. She's a tough grader and takes off points for reasons that wouldn't make sense to anyone else. Also, she's obsessed with powerpoint even though it's proven to be an ineffective teaching method.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• 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:

Never take her. I cannot recommend Dr. Rigsby at all. Her grading system is completely mercurial and based on her whims. She is incapable of recognizing her own mistakes. The class I took with her was highly academically elitist, with Phds' opinions being the only ones that counted. She is a nice woman and enthusiastic, but an absymal educator.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• 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:

Made us read books for graduate students, was very specific about what she wanted on the 15 essays we had to write(its WI). Class is not easy and though she is enthusiastic, she's crazy, doesn't tell you what she wants until after you've already turned it in. Wish I hadn't taken her. Not open to new ideas, everything must coincide with her opinion.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG295
• 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:

Will flat out tell students that they are wrong IF they do not agree with what she thinks. Lots of reading and writing required, while not a bad thing, she grades extremely hard. She believes things that are NOT literature to be great works, and is not open to new ideas. I love English, but I have come to dread writing now because she is crazy!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGL355
• 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:

Rigsby loves her subject and it really shows. Always happy and upbeat. Very into Romantics, esp. Emerson and Whitman... perhaps a litlle toomuch so. Assignments were fun. Instead dull essays we made bumper sticker and teeshirt slogans then wrote papers explaining our choices and how they related to romanticism. Always willing to help with rewrites.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGL295
• 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:

Fantastic professor. Made very vague theoretical concepts crystal clear. Always willing to work with students during office hours for additional help. Extremely kind, very passionate about her work and knowledgeable.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL295
• 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:

Dreadful material, but great professor. If not for Rigsby, I would have loathed this class. She is a genuinely kind woman with an interest in her students. Classes are interesting, even though the material is horrid. She's sometimes not clear on what she wants for assignments, which can be frustrating, but overall a good, experienced professor.