Margaret Maurer - Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

Professor: Margaret Maurer

Department: English

College: Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: FSEM150
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Maurer is one of those professors at Colgate that alumni talk about saying "You have to take a class with her". I understand why. Her passion for English is clearly seen with the time she takes preparing for class. Professor Maurer was a tough grader but she helped improve my writing and reading skill a lot. Class is not easy but worth it

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FSEM150
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This is hands down one of the best, if not the best, professors I have had here at Colgate. She is extremely smart, passionate about her discussions, and she really wants her students to engage with the readings. Prof. Maurer is not an easy grader, but she always wants the best for her students! I read a lot, but it was all worth it! Loved her!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: FSEM150
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I had this professor for my FSEM and it was terrible. Professor Maurer is very inflexible on her opinions and rarely takes into serious consideration what you have to say, often rephrasing your contributions so they mimic her own. Grading was very unclear and essays were only focused on what the author was DOING. Whatever that means.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGL321
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The most intelligent and fascinating professor you will ever have. She is a very difficult grader (her tests are near impossible) and she expects much of her students, but she is incredibly interesting and knowledgeable. Truly bases her classes discussions on what the students want to talk about. Absolutely worth the tough grading.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL385
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Maurer is one of my favorite professors at Colgate! While her classes can sometimes be a bit dry, she is such an entertaining and helpful professor who really knows her stuff! I look forward to taking another class with her in the future!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL321
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I absolutely loved the structure of her class - we wrote down questions at the end of the class periods and she reviewed them with us during the next class. I felt like an active participant in the class even if my questions weren't chosen, and I enjoyed that her "discussion" class was actually based on discussion (which is rare nowadays).

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGL450
• 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:

Wonderful. Professor Maurer was, by far, my favorite and most intellectually challenging professor at Colgate, and that says a lot.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG142
• 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:

I took Prof. Maurer's writing course 35 years ago. Brutally honest("you have a sledgehammer style of writing"), her red ink corrections and mandatory re-writes helped me immensely. In fact, I succeeded with brief writing in law school largely because of her influence and eventually became a published author. Thanks for caring, Prof. Maurer.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG206
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Maurer is my favorite teacher by far. She is extremely interesting and makes a great deal of valid comments that really get you thinking. She is, however, a very difficult grader. If you work hard though she is extremely helpful and I would recommend taking her class if you really want to improve your writing.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CORE151
• 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:

Her grading is unfair. You can make a number of valid points in an essay of test response, but she will mark off because you didn't mention exactly what she was thinking. She has pre-set answers to subjective tests, which makes her grading obnoxious. Class was also boring and there was no discussion; it was just her talking the whole time.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CORE151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A little boring, grading policy was not at all clear. She's a really nice woman though, makes herself available to talk. Hard paper/exam grader. Had us all over for brunch though, a very nice lady.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL303
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I really can't stand this professor. She wasn't interesting and didn't help me at all.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL322
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She really knows her stuff, and will happily work with you to make papers better. Exams are pretty tough, but doing a group performance of a Shakespeare scene can help lift your grade. Would recommend, but you'll need to read closely to do well.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGLSHAK
• 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:

Maurer is brilliant, helpful, engaging, and most importantly: passionate about what she teaches.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CORE151
• 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:

She's an increibly difficult paper grader and pretty useless when it comes to helping you out at office hours and etc. She doesn't tell you what percentage of your grade anything is worth. Instead she just decides to count whatever she wants as much as she wants as the end of the semester.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: FSEMSHAKESPEA
• 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:

Took 2 classes with Maggie. Scared me straight in my FSEM - first time I had ever had a paper returned in red! But she was great and I learned lots and as a result, my writing improved significantly. Definately knows her stuff.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: SHAKES
• 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:

Uninteresting approach to teaching what could be an extremely engaging course. Lacking in true pedagogical skill but a brilliant woman.

Rating # 18

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Class was very boring and probably useless. Workload is pretty manageable (3 essays, 2 tests, good amount of reading but you dont really need to do it) Very nice woman though, and it shouldnt be too hard to get at least a B.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Class was generally interesting, but a very hard grader. And she is very unhelpful with papers.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: SHAKES
• 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:

Funny and interesting. Really knows her stuff.