Michael E. Gorra - Smith College

Professor: Michael E. Gorra

Department: English Language & Literature

College: Smith College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: FYS162
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Gorra was great in this class! He is witty and especially fun if you don't take everything he says literally. We had quite a bit of reading, but it was all from novels. I highly recommend going to office hours because he is so helpful with the direction of each of your papers. Don't be scared of him! I loved this class so much

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FYS162
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's so nice and smart! I think people can be wary of taking his classes because he's known for being a harsh grader, but his classes are so worth taking. You learn so much, and your writing does get better with him.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: FYS162
• 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 is an incredible professor! Has so many good things to say and makes class discussions really fascinating! Does a very good job of making sure everyone participates. You can tell he is so fit for teaching and loves his job; he is always enthusiastic and thoughtful and you can tell he cares. Also, he brought us home-made cookies twice. So great.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG243
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

People seem to not be too fond of him but Prof. Gorra is probably one of my favorite professors. I've taken two classes with him and his lectures are engaging and illuminating, he's incredibly knowledgeable, and he's pretty accommodating and considerate. Does take himself seriously and likes to hear himself talk but I find it amusing.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG243
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A fantastic professor. Very kind, engages actively with students ideas in class, and has a friendly presence in class. Helpful and willing to discuss essay ideas in office hours. Though A's are hard to come by, his comments really help your essay writing skills and academic ideas evolve over the course of the class. Highly recommend!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Michael Gorra is great-- if you don't take him too seriously. He can come off as pretentious, and sometimes it can hurt to be in his class because he is a tough grader. BUT, he is tough because he believes in his students. He will do his absolute best to help you. Especially if you ask for it. He can place his opinions above others. Still funnice

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: 244
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Michael Gorra is awesome! He is BRILLIANT and if anyone doesn't like him it's only because they are used to being babied by Smith English prof's. Get over it! Learn something!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 264
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He was interesting, knowledgable and interactive. Wants to help you improve. Helpful. I personally was over my head in taking this class, above my level. But he took time to explain how to redo papers, how to improve and encouraged growth. I would gladly take a class again because the material was so well explained and in depth learning.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

he loves to hear himself talk, very true. picky about essays, yes. it was a generally dull class, discussions often went nowhere and he'd often brush aside students' comments in favor of his own.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: FYS162
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

A great professor who is passionate and engaging. He was very helpful outside of the classroom as well. My only complaint is when we went over my papers he would praise them but give me a B+. He's hard only because he expects much out of his students. challenging but worth it!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG265
• 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 really enjoyed his Victorian literature class. I never encountered him in office hours, but my impression of him is helpful, witty, and knowledgeable about literature. He does have high expectations for papers, but as long as you write drafts beforehand, you'll be fine. Also really likes people who participate--it helps your grade a lot.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG255
• 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:

Extremely unhelpful when I went to office hours. Agreed with previous comment: definitely the type of professor who will make you hate writing. Doesn't seem interested in students' opinions at all. Was really excited about short stories, but the class was not what I hoped for at all. Would strongly recommend just finding a different lit class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG202
• 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:

To the reviewer who mocked Gorra for being pretentious and "reading" Middlemarch upside down, flipping a page is a trick common to many of us who struggled with dyslexia. I've found Gorra to be exacting but fair in his grading, extremely helpful during office hours, and a genuinely nice guy.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG199
• 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:

He's an excellent professor. Difficult, yes, but you will learn SO MUCH. He is extremely helpful and not an unfair grader.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG199
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He loves to hear himself talk; ungraded work gets rave reviews yet anything graded is picked apart. He's the kind of professor that makes people hate writing. I will never take another class from him and suggest that you don't either.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGLISH
• 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: N/A

Comment:

Most of the other reviewers are talking/writing complete rubbish. He's one of the finest of lecturers, and demonstrates a deep and sensitive insight into the material not often found in the lectures of other professors. As a scholar and book-reviewer he is virtually unchallenged--even in a department as fine as this one. Superb person as well.

Rating # 17

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Difficult grader, somewhat hard to get a clear critique on papers. Class discussions are interesting, however, as are his lectures. He really isn't so bad, if you don't take him too seriously.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGLISHLIT
• 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 had him for a few classes. Not inspiring. I just didn't dig modern lit. I went to his office for a discussion and knocked on the door. He told me to come in, and he was sitting all scholarly like at his desk, "reading" a copy of Middlemarch - he must have good eyesight, as the book was upsight down. A little pretentios perhaps?

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENG101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's pretentious and boring and has a stutter. A sort of hard grader, but overall going to class was the worst.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG120
• 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:

Interesting class discussions, but he grades pretty harshly.