Michael Thomas - Hunter College, New York, NY

Professor: Michael Thomas

Department: English

College: Hunter College, New York, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGL313
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you're concerned about your GPA, maybe not the best professor. He's tough. However, if you want to genuinely become a better writer, this is the right class. He's definitely unconventional, but he's thorough and fair and will make you a better writer.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENGL311
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The BEST professor I've had!!!! The classes were a little unorthodox and at times I wasn't sure where he was going with the tangents... but those tangents all connected and made sense by the end. Takes no BS and will call you out! TAKE HIS CLASS

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENGL313
• 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: Mandatory

Comment:

By far the best professor I have taken at Hunter. He is a very unorthodox professor, however the amount of work given is minimal, but what you learn is immense. Just from dialogue and back and forths in class you learn so much about how to really write. Down to earth guy, straight forward, no BS.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG313
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Honestly, the man. Very unorthodox professor, and I mean that in the best way. You'll laugh, you'll learn, your writing will improve but be prepared to question the things you usually like in fiction.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL313
• 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:

Honestly, he is terrible. He is too intimidating. He spent two classes on my story and I learned nothing. If you don't do things his way , you wont get a decent grade.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG313
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A tough and intimidating professor, but an excellent writer and teacher. If you want someone to rip your writing apart and make you start from scratch - which is one of the best ways to improve - take him.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG311
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's intimidating at first if your a shy person. But know your stuff and be ready to back up a lot of the things you say. Attendance is important and participation is a must. If your easily scared, try another professor.But, He does know his stuff!! He can be very helpful.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG308
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Brilliant. Nuff said.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL484
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Knows A LOT about writing, doesn't do well in class setting. No syllabus, no peer workshop (only his comments), and no in-class exercises. Neg: he can come off as intimidating, disinterested, or just plain pissed. Pos: always helpful and insightful if you see him one on one, great reader and storyteller. Good if you are very self-motivated.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL386
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

By far the worst professor. He is beyond arrogant. He changed the course curriculum from the original one he wrote up. He never taught and the class felt more like a bookclub. He was constantly excessively late. We had to remind him on the last day of class, that he never gave us a final paper. He's not an academic, just an arrogant author.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGL400
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I'm not even sure why Thomas is teaching. He would be better off if he built a shrine for himself and just worshiped it all day. He wrote some book that isn't even a NY Times best seller. The class had no structure. I do not recommend anyone take him. He does not take teaching seriously, so he won't take your work seriosuly.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG390
• 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:

Its true that he seemed to favor certain students, or was most responsive to those who belonged to "the cult of Thomas" and basically reiterated whatever his own ideas were. But overall, he is very intelligent,witty, verbose,a bit off the wall and very handsome. His class was never boring for sure. We didnt follow a trad. syllabus at all.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG389
• 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:

Very disappointing. He was consistently late, never took attendance, and only engaged students who had taken a previous class with him. Class time consisted of monologues by fellow "intellects" as well as random association disguised as a lecture, verging on a rant. Teaching is not his calling; he seemed bitter and resentful towards the class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He has a very unusual teaching style. He makes you think and his assignments are comletely unorthodox. He is an excellent professor. If you put in the effort you will benefit, and he is quick to forgive you if you show improvement. He may seem at times like he favors some students more then others but this is a misconception.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGL300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Thomas is an acquired taste for most students. Unfortuntately, because of this, most students don't appreciate his teaching style. If you're not an intellect, if you're not into anecdotes, and if you don't want to be treated like an equal, don't take the class. You would be wasting his time, your time, and the time of those of us who get it.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

So well spoken and such an amazing professor.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG254
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Ehhh. He really thinks he's brilliant, and if you pretend he is too, he'll give you a good grade. No clear cut assignments, and class discussions that veer off into uncharted waters--if you are quiet, don't take this class. The room is always monopolized by the same people and he does nothing about it.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG254
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Ehhh. He really thinks he's brilliant, and if you pretend he is too, he'll give you a good grade. No clear cut assignments, and class discussions that veer off into uncharted waters--if you are quiet, don't take this class. The room is always monopolized by the same people and he does nothing about it.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENG300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Nice teacher, and will give you help if you ask for it. However, he gives absolutely no feedback on anything, hardly collects work, and is often unclear on assignments/due dates etc. He can also be arrogant in that "I'm constantly berating myself so I can't be arrogant"-way. Tells interesting (at the least, strange at most) and off-tangent stories.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's attractive. I'll give him that. At first, I thought he was really funny and cool. However, I soon changed my mind when I realized that he enjoys making his students feel inferior (so pretentious), loves to talk about himself, never returns assignments (no feedback in a Creative Writing class?!?), and provides no class structure.