Michael Sirmons - Austin Community College, Austin, TX

Professor: Michael Sirmons

Department: English

College: Austin Community College, Austin, TX

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG2327
• 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:

If you're looking for an easy A, you won't find it here. I worked hard for mineâ€"reading every night, taking a quiz every day, spending quite a bit of time writing papers, &c., but I'd take the class again in a heartbeat! He's strict and demanding, yes, but also helpfulâ€"if you're genuinely trying. The class helped me appreciate literature much more.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1302
• 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:

When I first started I thought this class would be awful. As I started getting into the class I see that he will teach you what you need to know. His classes are very insightful. If you do the work you can pass and I like the fact that he tells you exactly what he wants there is no guessing it is laid out for you. If you want to learn take this cla

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG1302
• 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:

He teaches very much to the point. He does not like to baby students. He will ask you to re-read the syllabus if you have a question that is answered in there. He will also refer back to directions in the handout provided. He is very meticulous and not easy on grading, but the stories that are read in class are very interesting and vary diverse.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG1302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If you want to learn this is the professor to take. I am an English major and his class has not only improved my critical thinking but it also helped my writing enormously. Thank you Mr. Sirmons for pushing me and making me a better writer.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1302
• 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:

Other than a brief sheet of requirements and showing an example essay the class before an essay is due, Mr. Sirmons does provide any clarification or instruction for writing the essays. He grades incredibly hard for a course required by everyone, taking off as much as 10 points for leaving out a comma in the bibliography. Do not take for Comp II.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2328
• 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:

Fantastic professor, incredibly passionate about literature. Daily quizzes are easy if you read. Yes the reading load is heavy, but its a LITERATURE class, you should expect to READ. Professor Sirmons is on of the best instructors I have had at this school, highly recommended!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2342
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Not a fun class and not the most interesting person to listen to. Refer to the syllabus before you ask any questions. Expect to read 1-2 hours prior to EVERY class and there are daily quizzes over the reading material. Worked really hard and managed a B.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2342
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

"It's in the syllabus" is a frequent answer to questions as someone else mentioned. I like literature but some of works we went over were hard for me (and others) to understand. You'd feel dumb to ask questions sometimes. I didn't like his teaching style at all but I did appreciate his passion. I wouldn't take him again.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG1302
• 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:

This guy is the worst teacher ever. I was in the tutoring center every week for hours cause he doesn't teach at all he just talks. I worked on my papers for hours and he gave me low grades for dumb mistakes. The required readings are boring and some don't make sense. He is a bully and if you have a ? or an opinion he makes you feel dumb.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2328
• 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:

The daily quizzes are easy if you do the assignment. He is very passionate about the writer and the works. easy class if you don't slack off and don't miss to many days since that will cost you a quiz grade for missing the daily quiz.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2342
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Easy class if you read the stories. The daily quizzes are very straightforward. Class discussions were a little boring though.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2342
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I took an Intro to Lit course with Mr. Sirmons over the summer and it was the hardest class I've ever taken due to the accelerated nature of the course and his demanding teaching style. He would administer daily quizzes over the reading assignments (which sometimes exceeded 50 pages a night) which were fairly easy if you'd done the reading.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG1302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Shocked at the negativity! EXCELLENT prof. Gives you all the info you need and has no problem helping if you need more. Not a cakewalk but not unreasonable. Interesting and enjoyable discussions. If you read daily (summaries worked for quizzes when I was low on time), don't miss too much class, follow directions and proofread, you'll be great.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2328
• 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:

Took his class like two semesters ago and was surprised that there was negative comments about him. I thought he was a great teacher. quizzes everyday over reading but there multiple choice. The tests were a breeze for me and he even gives a study sheet with pretty much everything thats going to be on the test. All around intelligent,nice teacher.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1302
• 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:

This class isn't the sort where you just show up and get an A, but if you read the assignments and very carefully proofread your papers you should do fine. Tardiness can hurt your grade. In my class the lowest paper and two lowest daily quiz scores were dropped before the grade was calculated. It was nice to have some room for error.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

worst grading system. would not recommend.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG1302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Sirmons is a miserable man. He does not accept different interpretations of short stories, does not explain if you have a question, will constantly refer you to the handout he just passed out, grades his papers harshly; follow the template to the "T" or you are bound to fail. He clearly hates his job.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is very enthusiastic about the required readings, but is not a good teacher; you can be good at what you do and not be able to teach it! Questions were asked multiple times on a class subject, but his answer was, "It's in the syllabus!" English is not a strong subject for me. Two journalist were in my class and had a difficult time! Good Luck

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2323
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this guy for comp II, Brit lit I and II. You have to read everything,hello it's literature. Reading quizzes everyday so read and show up on time and you'll only add an A to your over all grade. Tests aren't easy so def study. He requires certain things for essays so do them and you won't loose points. YOU DIRECTLY EFFECT YOUR OWN GRADE!