Reiko Sono - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Professor: Reiko Sono

Department: Japanese

College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: JAP140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you are looking for an easy gen ed course I do not recommend this class. It is very difficult to understand the readings without prior knowledge. The daily quizzes often have trick questions when they are supposed to simply check to see if you did the reading. The lectures are fairly dry as well so good information is hard to come by.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ASIANST135
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took a GenEd Buddhism class with her and expected to enjoy it but the class activities are very boring and unhelpful. The concepts are difficult to understand sometimes and she does a poor job explaining them. I felt left on my own to learn the material. I do not recommend anyone taking this class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: JAP197
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I found this class to be very boring. Sono is a very nice woman, but impossible to listen to, due to her inability get her thoughts out in a clear and concise way. Homeworks are all busy work, and the class was taught as if it was NOT an intro class. Not to mention, the TA didn't know ANYTHING. Meh class all around.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: JAP197C
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Sweet and smart, though she has some difficulty expressing herself. This can make class go real slow. Quizzes are online with unlimited retakes. Three papers which she grades easily. The textbook assumes that readers have much more background than we do, however, so things aren't always clear.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: JAP197C
• 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:

Mneh. i wasn't too pleased that she wanted very long answers for what she called short answer quizes

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: JAP190R
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This class was not what I expected at all. It's not really an intro course. Tons of reading and the lectures are very confusing. I got an A in the class but was extremely bored and confused most of the semester. She's a nice lady but you need to really be into the material to get anything out of it.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: JAP190R
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She is a Great person and will do anything to help you. she loves teaching and talking with students. however, its very difficult to understand her at times because it seems she finds it hard to translate what she wants to say into english. Interesting class, if you can understand her. But amazing as a person

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 190S190R
• 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:

Really nice and caring. I didn't do the final, so she gave me an incomplete and gave a few MONTHS to do it. I did it right away, but anyway she's a great teacher, always willing to help you out.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: JAPANESE190S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

She's a great teacher, especially if you are interested in Japanese culture. She's very nice, and very helpful. If you're having trouble, talk to her! She gave me a two week extension with no penalty when I was sick.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: J190J536
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

She is a very intelligent, well educated teacher. Very easygoing, friendly, and flexible deadlines. I enjoy her classes very much.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: JAPANESE190S
• 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 looks small and sweet, but she is a very harsh grader. expects you to know japanese culture. WAY too much work involved for this to be a gen-ed. you have to buy like 6 books. insanely long mid-term/final research paper required.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: 190S
• 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:

I still dont know what the S stands for

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: JAP190S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

this teacher is boring. it's the class where everyone falls asleep. she has trouble getting sentences out and sometimes take an entire class to say one point. the thing is. she takes attendence. the room would surely be empty if she didn't. i hated thsi class

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: JAP190S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Neat and interesting teacher, interesting material, boring and pointless mandatory class, laptop with wireless essential (4chan.org), grading okay, English easily understandable but tends to forget what she's talking about, impossibly huge blocks of text to read every week, impossible quizzes on WebCT, make sure to have friends in the class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: JAPANESE190S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She cannot speak english and will punish you for language barriers when you don't understand what she wants on an assignment. Very Very tough grader, requires literally hundreds and hundreds of pages of reading that are on webct...scanned from a book. WebCT quizzes too difficult, group projects graded VERY harshly. Do not take, aweful Gen-ed!!!!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: JAP190S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

sono cannot speak english!! by time she thinks of the word she forgot what she was trying to say. and then you are quizzed on it. she is an extremely hard grader for someone who doesn't understand our language

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: JAPANESE426
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Sono is wonderful! I love her so much. She really helped me understand!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: JAPRELIGION
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Sooo boring, takes her 5mins to think of words in English.. graded harshly on attendence.. so if u dont think ull go ever day.. dont bother... seriosuly readings are so dry.. dont take this class with her,

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: JAP197
• 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:

She is so sweet but needs help in learning how to bring a class into discussion

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: JPN391A
• 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:

A very sweet teacher who is very helpful when students are having a hard time.