Byron Nelson - West Virginia University

Professor: Byron Nelson

Department: English

College: West Virginia University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He loves to share his opinions. I stopped reading the plays and just go to class and listen to him talk about what he thinks it all means. I was making my own claims on quizzes (with evidence from the plays themselves) and he was marking them wrong--even though they were opinion questions. As long as you say what he said you will get an A.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENGL1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

My personal favorite. Very intelligent about literature, life, politics. Sympathetic. Politically biased to left, but never obnoxious. Possibly the kindest soul at the University. Pale eyes with pinpoint pupils. When I was depressed, he encouraged me. When I told him I was joining the Army, he stalled me. "Oh, no, don't do that..." he said.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: SHAKSPHER
• 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:

Nice guy. Always willing to meet you for coffee over papers. Pretty hard class though. Exams and test are pretty impossible unless you do your reading and attend class. His grading is very opinion based- I recommend just repeating HIS opinion. Gives "pop" mini essays/quizzes. Not an impossible A - just requires some conscious effort.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The class isn't hard, once you figure out the system. In the beginning, my friend and I read all the plays and studied, and the best we could get were B's. We're both honors students. When we stopped reading the plays and only payed attention to what he said in class (parroting back his opinions on the test), we got A's.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI263
• 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:

Plays favorites. Doesn't like it when you disagree with his ideas on his tests. I did it once and he counted off for it. Overall, don't like his personality and goes WAY too in depth with Shakespeare's life and the lives of the actors.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Byron made me enjoy Shakespeare in a way nobody else ever has. His reading choices were unique, if a bit bland at times, but his essay tests were blindingly simple if you paid attention in class at all. Very fun, very intelligent and challenging, and a guy I would love to have for class again anytime.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• 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:

Pretty neutral about him. Clearly played favorites. Easy to make up answers to his questions, then just agree with whatever he says. For what it's worth, he's pretty funny and moderately interesting.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• 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:

Alright overall- he does play favorites. His questions are usually difficult to answer and seems to think his ideas are the only right ones. Brings his political ideas in when they aren't necessary... But he covers the material well- essay tests.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• 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:

I enjoy Shakespeare, so this class was great. He is very clear and goes over every important idea in the plays. Interesting trivia, and he always tells you what might be on the exams. However, he asks very awkward, unanswerable questions, and tends to feel that only his ideas are right. But if you don't get his attention, you'll be safe!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• 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:

I had absolutely no interest in Shakespeare before this class and hated having to read it, but this class changed me a little bit. It's still not my favorite, but by the time the class is over, you can actually understand what you're reading. It's not a difficult class, just do your readings. Tests are essay-type. You have to write two papers.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG261
• 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:

Nice guy. His class isn't hard, but also isn't easy. Just do all the work. read everything. Loves what he does!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL261
• 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:

Awesome teacher!!!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

okay, i'm still on the fence of whether i liked him or not. he was okay.. easy enough.. but he would call on random people and i always got stuck with the annoying questions that no one knows the answers too. sometimes, he can be kind of funny. but overall, just weird.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGL236
• 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:

Played Favorites....Thought class was going to be interesting going into it but not at all....All discussion so go to class....

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG262
• 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:

Nice, somewhat funny. Knows a lot about British Literature and 15th-17th century England culture, history, etc. If you don't find that interesting, you may not like him, but it is helpful in understanding the text to hear what else was happening at that time. I liked him a lot.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGL263
• 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:

****!! Played favorites. Incredibly boring. Made a lot of inappropriate political comments that didn't apply to anything we were studying. The intellect of a rock.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: SHAK1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great prof! He really knows his stuff and likes to connect the material with history and with current events. Really opened my eyes to things in Shakespeare that I had never really noticed before. Really fun lectures and a fair grader!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: 263
• 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:

For what can sometimes be a very bland subject, Prof. Nelson brings new life to Shakespeare. He's articulate, very informative, amusing, a little silly, and definitely a riot. I would absolutely recommend him above Burton (the pill).

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: SHAKESPEARE
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This guy helps give the English dept. a bad reputation. Super-easy. You do not need to think. You could be in junior-high and get an A in this class. Frankly, when I pay this much money for a class I want to learn something. Take Burton is you want to actually leanr something useful about Shakespeare.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's great. Sarcastic, funny, makes Shakespeare so much more interesting than any previous teachers. I got an A in this class and I didn't even read the last several plays.