Walter Wenska - College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Professor: Walter Wenska

Department: English

College: College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG207
• 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:

Has a very narrow view of studied texts. Papers are graded based on how closely they align with his interpretation of the texts. There is little to no discussion, and when there is any, he will scoff at what he disagrees with. To get an A, regurgitate what he says during class into papers.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG207
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Wenska is funny and not quite as stand-offish as he seems. That said, he can be very biased against your work if he thinks you aren't putting in effort (bad attendance, not participating). Take notes on EVERYTHING he says and talk a lot. Tried talking to him at office hours and he might as well have been wearing a sign that says "can't be bothered"

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG207
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I was really excited for this class and wow, was I disappointed. Wenska is quite condescending and cynical. You have to regurgitate everything he tells you back into your papers- he's not big into other people's interpretations. Lots of handouts that seem really random.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGL207
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Wenska spends a lot of time talking about current events, newspaper readings, etc. and less time on the works. If you take notes on everything he says relating to the works read in class, you just need to restate those ideas on papers/tests to get an A.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGL207
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very minimal discussion for an low level English class. Interprets literature in a very specific way. Youll have to take notes on his view of the works in order to write good essays and do well in the class. That being said, if you do show up and write down what he says your essays wont be hard to write.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL207
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Wenska is great. Very opinionated, and doesn't appreciate view points that differ from his, but as long as you write what he wants you to write you'll do fine.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGL475
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's great; opinionated, but what else would you expect from an English prof? Great class discussions, picky on writing style, but if you take his advice you'll get better. He knows what he's talking about

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG207
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I will never take another class with Professor Wenska; he was rude and condescending with his grading but also his comments towards students in class. I took this class for an easy A as a junior and am now regretting that decision. The class was interesting, professor not so much.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG364
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I graduated in 2015 and the comments I saw when I was researching Dr. Wenska are gone. My advice: go talk to him like I did. See if you can tolerate his colorful manner in order to learn from his brilliance. I'd take another class with him if I could. In my master's program, I'm still drawing on what I've learned from him.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL207
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This course is targeted at freshmen (which is good since it was the first English class I took), so it's pretty easy, most people had already done the texts in high school (The Great Gatsby, Huck Finn). Deals with classics. The essays are pretty short, and exams are easy as long as you listen in class (and maybe do the reading).

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGL364
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

If you pay attention and don't try to disagree with him, you will do well in his class. It is when you try to divert the subject of his lectures that can be short, but this is meant to shut down diversions and keep the class moving in the direction he wants it to go. Whether this is your cup of tea or not will determine whether you think he's rude

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL364
• 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:

Personally, I found him hilarious. He doesn't take a lot of English major BS, which I have been guilty of on many occasions. The reading for the class is all American classics (e.g. Hemingway and Faulkner), really great stuff. Papers are easy. He never changes the midterm from past years. Final was not so bad if you do the reading. Curves a lot.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG367
• 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:

This man should be fired. Point Blank. You could do unbelievably well one week and then terrible the next, depending on whether or not he has drinks with his relatives. I honestly am ashamed I pay an insanely large amount every semester for a professor like this. Avoid him if you want to actually learn something useful in American Lit.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG364
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Assuming you are naturally cynical and nihilistic, this class is rather easy. The papers are only 2 pages and you never get lower than a B- on them. The midterm was insane. The final (which most failed) had to do with close readings of texts and in class notes. Rather daunting for an 8am gig. Everyone got bumped up half a letter grade at the end.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG364
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Every class he managed to be condescending and cynical. He told us how pointless English Majors are, considering most of us were. His papers are easy. His exams are rediculous. Half our class failed the mid-term. Just to show how rude he is, he emailed us people's grades and told anyone else who didn't naturally get an A to be undeserving.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGPARI
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The Americans in Paris class is a HUGE waste of time. Admittedly, I'm not an English major, but I'd read and enjoyed all the books and was hoping for more interesting insight. Not only is he incomprehensible and disorganized, but his grading style is mercurial at best. Didn't know when he was going to give the midterm until the day before. A joke.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG364
• 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:

best prof in the English departmnt. One of the few profs/classes Ive had here that lived up to my expectations of what a college education should be. grades easily, calls on random students, and calls you out if your answer is way off but in the end youll learn a lot. final exam is rough but not bad enough to hurt your final grade. THE coolest guy.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGL364
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Every English major should be required to take a class with Wenska. He's no bs and doesn't put up with your bs, either. But an incredibly easy grader; the papers are 2 pages long and he literally only gives A's and B's on the papers. The reading list is amazing, his lectures are interesting and he's hilarious if you appreciate cutting dry humor.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGL460
• 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:

Seems misunderstood to many. Burned out and casual, which garners the dislike, but clearly he's brilliant. He is also the only professor to sit down with me and take an honest rhetorical look at my writing style, one on one. Of course he tore me apart. I think he's well worth taking.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL2034
• 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:

Wenska is brilliant. The class is definitely easy and you don't have to try hard to get a respectable grade, but his editing and insights into the texts are amazing. He's good for a quip about modern society/english majors, but he really is a wonderful professor. One of William and Mary's most underrated.