Marian Allen - Athabasca University

Professor: Marian Allen

Department: TBD

College: Athabasca University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGL211
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

You won't get a good grade unless you can read her mind. Even if you back up your arguments in logical and nuanced ways, Marian will not give you a good grade if you do not write exactly the arguments she expects you to. Instead of grading the essay you write, she will simply deduct marks for the arguments she thinks you SHOULD have made.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG212
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Marian Allen is consistently inconsistent. Her grading and feedback on one essay would be entirely in opposition to her feedback on another. Her emphasis on memorization of Authors and Titles in closed-book examinations did nothing to increase my understanding of the material or the applicable lessons taken from the class, and instead wasted time.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG255
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This was my first course at AU. I My biggest issue with the class was that I felt her feedback on the previous assignment and the grading on my next assignment were always contradictory. This made me feel like I was constantly learning how she wanted me to write at the expense of my grades. I just finished at AU and this course was my lowest grade.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG255
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great first university course to learn about formatting university essays. Course provides a wide variety of assignment types to showcase university writing styles. Prof is helpful to hard-workers but does not hand out grades to those not wanting to put in time and effort to improve. Overall great course to get you aware of university writing style

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG212
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Having a difficult time in her class. I didn't switch out in time, I thought that with effort and by asking a lot of questions, I'd do better on my essays and develop a relationship with her. Not the case. While I get A's on essays in other classes, I repeatedly get low grades in her class and she hasn't offered useful advice for improvement.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG212
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Don't take this course with her. I'm a straight A student, got an A+ in ENGL 255 with another prof, yet got a C on my first (and also my last) essay in her course. If you're looking for a relatively painless English credit and want to actually learn something useful, this isn't the course for you. Thankfully I got out before it was too late.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG212
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The best teacher ever, I know she is hard but if u are really a hard worker u will succeed. she is always there to help. Tough grader, for those who never worked hard. In one word she is "Awesome" teacher.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGL395
• 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:

Hard marker, but if you don't expect an easy grade and put effort into the work, you will finish with a good mark. I was intimidated at first (especially because this was my first course with AU and Ms. Allen) but the over the phone exam went smoothly and she was very friendly. You can get alot out of this course if you work hard!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL211
• 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 prof was a complete ****!! She called me at 10pm one night (I live in Alberta so I'm on the same time zone as her) and basically told me what an idiot I was and how pathetic my writing was. She made me cry. I have a 3.8 GPA and I got a D in her class. Don't know why I bother I could get into the higher level classes no problem (and did well)

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL395
• 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:

She is a nice professor. Difficult marker, but a real pleasure to speak with on the phone during the oral exam. Always replies to emails quickly. She is an asset to this school

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG395
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Very tough marker. She terrified me! I had a 3.8 GPA going into her class & was shocked by how low she marked my work. Lowest grades I've ever had! I.e.: I handed 2 papers of similar length & style, both compare & contrast, to two different instructors. Professor # 1 gave me 95% and Marion gave 75%. Take this course with someone else if you can.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL395
• 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:

Very tough marker, but explains why points were lost. INCREDIBLY fast to respond.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG255
• 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:

very helpful, very quick to respond, friendly and clear in what she expected

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: VICLIT
• 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:

I'm disappointed in her lack of openmindedness. She focusses on her ideas only and does not accept an alternate point of view. She misunderstands a great deal of what the other person is trying to get across perhaps because she is so focussed on her own point. No eval method, min comments to assist u in improving. I would not recommend her.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGL211
• 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:

Awful. An incredibly hard marker.

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

She already hates you. Why even bother....

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGL211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

An extreemly hard marker. She is also slightly rude. Her feedback is very vauge and often expects that you already know all the answers...um that's what you're paid for!!!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG212
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

A bad experience. I found that she assumed I should know the questions I was asking her, which made me feel stupid. Also a tough marker. Maybe good in classroom, but not a distance teacher. Avoid at all costs!