Debra Rienstra - Calvin University

Professor: Debra Rienstra

Department: TBD

College: Calvin University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGL212H
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

English 212 British Literature with Professor Rienstra was an amazing class! I would highly recommend it. The readings are very interesting, and the lectures are great. Prof. Rienstra is an excellent teacher, passionate about her students and the course material. What a great experience!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENGL260
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

While I would never describe this class as easy, you will write until blood smudges your laptop keys, it is not an impossible class to be successful in. Professor Rienstra is hilarious, gives amazing feedback, and allows you to rewrite a bunch of assignments for a better grade toward the end of the semester. Amazing introductory course for writing.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENGL200
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I loved Prof. Rienstra's class. She made the classics come to life and for a core class, I learned a lot. I was never bored during her lectures. However, get ready to read for several hours a week.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG101H
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Honors english is hard, but Rienstra made it not only bearable, but actually at some points, fun. Be warned though, ENG 101H has a theme of immigrants and refugees so if you're not into politics, like myself, that can get pretty boring. Grading is relative, which I loved, so as long as you made sufficient progress, you got a good grade.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGLISH101
• 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:

Take this course with her. Only graded on papers and participation. She corrects first drafts and allows you to make changes. Near the end of the year I was stressed and she understood. Talk to her about deadlines and what's going on in your life. She let me leave class early to pick up my mom from chemo. Awesome lady. Awesome prof.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL101
• 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:

One of my favorite profs at Calvin! She is very enthusiastic and makes discussion/ class in general very comfortable. She edits everyone's first draft before the final paper is due, which is really helpful. Sometimes her grading can be hard, but if you put in effort and improve throughout the semester, it should be an enjoyable class.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG346
• 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:

She's a good professor, but not my favorite ever. She guides you throughout paper writing processes a ton, but it feels like your paper becomes more of what she wants than what you think is interesting. If you like a prof who is really organized and tell you what to think, take her.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG210
• 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:

This class was awesome!! I loved most of the readings. The first half of the semester was amazing, but the second half wasn't as exciting as the first half. If you study the review sheet, you will do great on the test.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL101
• 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:

Great professor! Lively 7 friendly - makes the topics interesting and tries to get everyone to participate. Grammar activities were actually fun & creative. Takes time to comb through everyone's essays before the final draft is due, which is a big help! **take English with her**

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL205
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She is a great prof; very excited to teach the class new things for them. Class is easy as well as readings, generally enjoyable. Also very understanding of missed classes, provided you communicate properly.

Rating # 11

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

An amazing prof! I really enjoyed her class. She was so friendly and made assignments fun to do.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL305
• 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:

Rienstra is a great person & good professor. Loves discussion, which tends to make each class either really interesting or really boring depending on how you like the literature. Great sense of humor as long as you stay within her sense of what's okay to talk about. Loves conversing & developing a rapport with her students.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL101H
• 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:

Great professor, makes an effort to know students. Cares about students, and about words. In love with well-written sentences, and pushes you to write them. Take her class!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG101H
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She was my favorite teacher that i've had thus far at Calvin! I am a math major and still found that Professor Reinstra was able to bring english to life. Her love for the subject and for each of her students was entirely apparent, and my writing improved greatly during the semester.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGL101
• 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:

She was amazing. She was so much fun, and even though we got a TON of work done, it was enjoyable. We got chocolate prizes for writing quickly and well. I learned a lot about using grammar well, and I detest the subject. The class taught me a LOT, and I would totally take it over again.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGL101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof Rienstra is a really good English teacher. I hate writing papers, and I was absolutely dreading taking this class, but it improved my writing a lot. She is also a really nice person and is more than happy to help you improve your paper. I found her to be a pretty tough prof, but I suspect some of that is just my dislike of papers speaking.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I really like Prof Rienstra. She's nice and funny a bit artsy spazzy but thats alright. I found her a bit difficult in grading papers, but she is always willing to help out and give more guidance. I'd suggest her.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGLAND
• 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:

England with Deb has been wonderful - she's very concerned about us all first as individuals (making sure we're always doing okay) and also as students (very willing to talk about anything academic or any questions).

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

She tries really hard to do fun things, and the dancing thing was fun...I dont know what you're talking about. We really do like Deb, despite not being perfectly clear sometimes.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGLAND
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

she's nice and all, but she isn't clear with her instructions, she underestimates our abilities, and she makes us dance sonnets. that's not cool.