David Mesher - San Jose State University

Professor: David Mesher

Department: TBD

College: San Jose State University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HUM1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His lectures can be difficult to follow and very monotonous. The class is hard, but that was to be expected since it's an honors class. Makes you feel bad if you do poorly on a quiz/assignment, but I guess that is also motivation to do better next time. You have to go to seminar for participation points, but you could miss lecture if you wanted to.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: E190
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Good professor--extremely knowledgeable. This class was hard, but it was an honors colloquium, so it makes sense. Not sure how he's like in regular upper div lit classes. But I'm assuming he brings the same critical eye. Definitely makes you work for it, but he's a good guy: funny, caring, and he gives good feedback. Only teaches in the fall.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENGL68B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

cool guy, good sense of humor, pretty helpful if you reach out to him, two explications (1 poetry, one short story), one long 5-6 page final essay, a midterm, and a final. participation is a big deal in his class; quizzes are part of this and they are really detailed so do the reading, which can be a lot sometimes. all in all, a good class.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: 123B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Cool class if you're interested about relevant global literature; it was modern African lit this time around. A quiz every other class, 2 paper drafts, 2 papers, and a final.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG68B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mesher is a really nice guy and I enjoyed taking his class. He is extremely erudite and intelligent; I would definitely take him again. I don't think he is an easy A; you do have to work for it, i.e., do the reading! He gives very detailed quizzes that can only be passed if you read but he is very funny and clearly cares a lot about the literature.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 123C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The literature he chose was interesting, very foreign at first, but became clear with the background and cultural information he provided in class. He will have pop quizzes, which are tough and you have to have read the material to do well. However, scoring low does not wreck your grade. Assignments: 2 medium size essays, plus final (2 essays).

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGL68B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

People generally don't like Mesher's classes because they are often boring. However, he is very erudite and has his reasons for being tenaciously unwavering when presenting information; if your wrong to him, then you are WRONG. Don't miss any quizzes and you are sure to get a grade higher than you expected. Only teaches during the Fall Semester.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HUM1B
• 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:

Humanities Honors is challenging in itself however Dr. Mesher's clarity on what he wanted only made the hardship that much more difficult. His grading is fair and he gives you a chance to fight for a higher grade. However his quizzes ask for details that are far to specific so be prepared unless you have a photographic memory!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL126
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

SO SO SO SO Boring. No one comes to class since it is not necessary. He grades papers on high standards, but does not prepare you for them. All in all, the most boring class ever.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL068B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very nice man but this was probably the most dull class I have ever experienced in my life so far. Had him in the afternoon and I found myself daydreaming and eagerly waiting for class to end. Grading on papers and exams were eh.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGL123C
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He gets a bit caught up in his lecture and forgets where he was. The subject (Pacific Lit) would have been more interesting if he had chosen a much better book list. He does know a lot about aboriginal culture of New Zealand and Australia.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL68B
• 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:

He is one of the nicest professors I've ever had. Yes, lectures can be a bit boring, but he is very approachable and has good feedback on assignments.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL68B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Absolutely terrible. Class discussions focus around plot summaries instead of what is needed for the midterm and final, usually doesn't keep pace with the schedule and always gets behind, and never accepts anyone's opinion beside his own on a subject (frequent use of "Yes, but...").

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGL68B
• 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:

Most class sessions are spent reiterating the surface meaning of the many poems and short stories read for that day. He never wrote a single word on the board over the course of the entire semester and skipped over entire selections simply because he did not like the author. Essay prompts are lengthy yet still unclear. Avoid if possible.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG123C
• 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:

Dr. Mesher has an amazingly vast knowledge of world culture and literature. The works can be heavy and difficult to critically analyze but he explains in detail how academic writing should be expressed. He is approachable and fully expects good upper division work from his students. I would definitely enroll in another one of his "lit" classes.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI5311
• 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:

Awful professor and boring class. He grades very hard and nitpicks very small details in his quizzes and exams. However, I am glad I took him because he alone convinced me to change my major. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGL123C
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mesher chose awful literature for pacific lit, and then expected us to translate it. He didn't even bother to look up the words, and could not answer his own questions when the class said they were lost. There are pop quizzes every other class, and he nit-picks the details

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGL125A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Mesher spent waaaay too much time on Homer for my liking. I over-participated all semester to stay awake, and was maybe 1 of 7 people who talked all semester. He gave me 90s on my essays though I hardly deserved them. If anything, I'm grateful for the opportunity to read the books...though I know someone else could teach them better.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENG7
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Boring, but OK. The course itself was pointless, and he would reread all the reading we were supposed to do in class, and then get sidetracked.The info is confusing and he doesn't clarify the material fully. The tests are very random and the info put on it doesn't usually make sense with what we'd learned(in lecture or reading).

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL125A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He grades hard. Don't miss class, despite how hard it is to stay awake during it.