Debra Merskin - University of Oregon

Professor: Debra Merskin

Department: TBD

College: University of Oregon

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: J412
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

If Zombies and Media is the topic, you should absolutely take this class. She is so interested in the course that it makes you interested also. Its an easy A and actually a fun class. Tests are straight forward and she doesnt do pop quizzes. Theres a group project but its again, straight forward and shes not a tough grader.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ECONUA238
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Great teacher!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: J320
• 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 unorganized. Gives quizzes that have very detailed questions on the reading that even if you read the stuff you could still get an F on it.Exams were easy, but she just never gave points for some things and lost work. Just was not happy in general with the class given the subject.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: J329
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS. She is so unorganized that she never posted a grade for the two extra credit essays I did. If she had I would have an A in the class, and she won't go back and change it. She also gives a final exam and a partner 12 page research paper due in the same week. I did not enjoy her class at all, despite my interest in the topic.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: J412
• 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: Mandatory

Comment:

Merskin is a pretty easy teacher as long as you do the readings and show up to class you can't get lower than a B

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: J314
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Debra was the most unhelpful teacher I have ever had. When I asked for help she told me to read the textbook more and blew me off. If you like quizzes the day after a midterm take her class and be ready to be called out in class if you did do the difficult course reading. A poor teacher. I would not recommend her to anyone.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: J412
• 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:

Very interesting class and interesting professor - I had her for Love, Sex and the Media and would recommend it. I tried hard in this class though and only ended up with a B+. You HAVE to go to class because she does quizzes on the readings - the 2 times I skipped were 2 of the quizzes and there went 20 points.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: J412
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Merskin is nice. She is pretty easy to talk to & she is good at answering emails. I had her for a 400 level class so the reading load was a lot & she is a very strict paper grader so if you dont know APA learn it! If you dont skip class and do the reading you should be fine. Test and quizzes are pretty easy as long as you keep up on the reading.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: J412
• 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:

Merskin is great. She can be tough but she's really nice and helpful. I really enjoyed her upper division class. I've heard mixed reviews about the bigger lower division classes but she is a really awesome teacher if you try to engage just a little bit.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: JOUR320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This class is ridiculous, I don't pay professors so that I can watch documentaries in class. BUT if you show up to class(and pay attention) and read the text you will do fine. But lectures are boring and she is a complete liberal feminist.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: J314
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Pop quizzes, two tests and a final paper. Lectures were sporadic and pretty dry.. But Merskin is a genuinely nice person and really cares about her students success. She wants you to learn this material.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: J314
• 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:

Unannounced weekly quizzes over textbook material. Gives extra credit and a bonus quiz. The final took everyone about 15-20 minutes to complete. Go to class everyday, take notes, read the book and you'll get an A.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: J320
• 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:

Very nice if you get to know her, spices up lectures with video clips, tests not too hard

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: J201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I took her class fall term of DO NOT TAKE A CLASS TAUGHT BY MERSKIN IF YOU CAN AVOID IT!!!!!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: J201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Most people were on the right course when they waited for the quizzes and left the lecture hall. She did not deserve the respect of staying. Nothing of weight was learned in her lectures. The text is the only useful resource. Ruined my enthusiasm for Journalism.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: J201
• 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:

How is Merskin a teacher. The GTF's would write up the pop quizzes, they wrote the Exams, they graded our papers and Merskin just showed up to class pretending like she was about to teach. We learned nothing important and PS Merskin, an 88 % is a B+..not a B. Thanks for nothing! Where do they find professors like her?

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: J201
• 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:

Dr. Merskin is a wonderful teacher! I loved her class and look forward to taking her again in the future (hopefully).

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: J201
• 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 a Journalism Major, or at least I was. I'm giving the school one more chance but after taking her class I'm tempted to find a new major. Almost all of your learning is done from reading a textbook (boring but educational). I only show up to lectures because there are a lot of quizzes. Killed my enthusiasm for a class I'd be looking forward to!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: J201
• 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:

I was looking forward to this class as my first journalism class....now I've switched majors, switched to pass/no pass...and dread every day of it. She is a lazy teacher, talking about only things of her intrest, not what we should learn, and using YouTube in nearly every lecture, intresting? no, just a waste of time!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: J201
• 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:

I was really excited to start taking journalism classes and love to write, but this class was not what I expected at all. Tons of unnecessary readings that are hardly ever connected to lecture. She is one of the most unorganized professors I have encountered.